


On Building A Family From the Ground Up

by orphan_account



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Kid Fic, M/M, Online Dating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-08
Updated: 2013-12-08
Packaged: 2018-01-04 00:55:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 38,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1075157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erica signs Derek up for an online dating site as a joke. At first, he’s just pissed about it, but then her and Boyd announce they’re getting married and suddenly he really does need a date. Meanwhile, Laura becomes a foster mom, and Derek worries about growing way too attached to kids who are eventually going to be given a new home anyway. </p><p>Or, how, five years after the fire, Derek learns to open back up and create his own family from the people who occupy his life now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On Building A Family From the Ground Up

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as part of the [2013 Teen Wolf Big Bang.](http://teenwolf-bb.livejournal.com/)
> 
> The art for it was done by the lovely pariahsdream, [and it located here.](http://pariahsdream.tumblr.com/post/69381304041/this-is-for-the-big-bang-this-year-for-my) Also, many, many thanks to [Sarah](http://archiveofourown.org/users/redweathertiger), for betaing this and being super sweet and encouraging! I have a weird love affair with the word "though" and among other things she helped me tone it down. 
> 
> side pairings you might want to be aware of include: Laura/Lydia and Boyd/Erica and (far) background pairings are Scott/Allison and Sheriff/Melissa 
> 
>  
> 
> **there are trigger warnings you should skip to the end note and read if you have triggers.**
> 
>  
> 
> but everyone should be aware of the fact there are a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer spoilers included in this (including some pretty major ones).

When Derek’s inbox floods with emails from a website called “Find Love Now” about new messages he has from people, he assumes Laura signed him up as some kind of joke and he swears that he is going to kill her for it. When confronted with it though she just laughs. “First, I’m your sister, and you wouldn’t kill your sister. Second, I’m your alpha and you couldn’t take me if you tried. Third, I didn’t do it. Must have been Erica’s idea of a joke, and I have to say it’s not a very good one. I feel kind of ashamed that a member of my pack has pulled such a pedestrian prank.” 

It’s probably true. When he thinks about it is far more Erica’s style than Laura’s to sign him up for a dating site just to flood his inbox, and he did eat the last of her chocolates the other week. He probably should have seen some kind of retribution coming. For a couple of weeks he just stews in silence and stays away from his email inbox as much as possible, and definitely does not log on to the site, but then Erica and Boyd tell him they have an announcement. 

“We’re getting married,” Erica says, holding out her hand so that he can see the ring. It’s huge and sparkling even in the dim light of Derek and Laura’s apartment. 

“No way,” Laura says, jumping up to get a better look at the ring. 

“Congratulations guys,” Derek says, a smile forming on his lips. He really is happy for them. They’ve been dating for a long time, and they’re pack, which makes them family and of course Derek is thrilled. He’s less thrilled about having to actually attend the wedding. Weddings always make him think of his parents, which causes the ache in his chest, the one that he’s mostly able to keep at bay these days come back with a vengeance. 

When he talks about it later with Laura she ruffles his hair and tells him that she understands. “It makes me a little sad too. We’ll get through it together, though.” Then she grimaces like she knows she’s about to say something Derek won’t like. “You know, it might not be as bad if you brought along a date to help distract you.” 

“And where do you expect me to find a date? The wedding is in three months.”

Laura doesn’t say anything at first, just stares at him, but after awhile she smiles and says, “Well, since Erica so nicely signed you up maybe you could put that website to good use.” 

“Oh, no. No no no. I am not looking through a bunch of potential lunatics to find a date to the wedding. I’ll go alone.” 

Laura sighs, but she doesn’t push it any further, just says, “I just want to see you happier.” 

“Yes, because you’re one to talk. You’ve had so many happy relationships since the fire,” Derek says, regretting it as soon as the words have left his mouth. 

Laura keeps the mood light though. “I’ve tried, at least. Not my fault no one can handle all this,” she says, gesturing to herself. “Make you a deal?”

Derek shrugs and she goes on, “How about we both try to have a date for the wedding. Neither of us really need anyone. I know that, but the thought of it is nice. Don’t you think? The idea of someone always being there? Growing old with them?” 

“I guess so,” Derek agrees, “And I guess if you take a date, I will too,” he adds, surprising himself with how easily he gives in. He loves Laura, and she really is a great person and sister and he knows that this isn’t actually about him dating someone, she just wants to see him become more comfortable letting people in again, and he can’t blame her for that. He wants that for her as well. Their parents died when they were really young and Laura had to start watching out for Derek when she was only 18 years old. She didn’t cope very well after the fire took everything they had ever known, but she did always take care of him. 

She was extremely angry about everything they lost for a long time, and she let that anger out in a lot of unhealthy ways, getting in a lot of fights with a lot of random people. But she never got angry at him, even though Derek felt he deserved it. The fights and reckless behavior didn’t stop until she almost landed herself in prison one night on assault charges. It was like a wake up call, and Laura stopped picking fights and started going to see a therapist who taught her healthier ways to cope. She had gotten in a couple of fights since then, but it was usually with other werewolves and it was always because someone was threatening either her or Derek. 

Derek knows she’s still not really comfortable letting people in though. The only people either of them are really close to besides each other are Erica and Boyd. This could be good for both of them, and it’s not that he didn’t want to be with someone, anyway, he just had trouble finding people who wanted to be with him. People seemed to appreciate his body, but they never seemed to be as interested in the closed off personality that came with it. 

Laura grins at him and ruffles his hair again before leaving the room, and with a sigh he lays out across the couch and grabs his laptop off the floor, resting his head on the arm of the couch and bending his knees so he can prop his laptop up against his legs. He logs onto the website with the information from the confirmation email he got when Erica signed him up and his eyes nearly pop out of his head. “Holy shit.” He has 157 messages from people. No wonder his inbox had been so flooded with notifications. He clicks over onto his profile partially to put off looking at the messages, but also to see what kind of lies about him Erica must have told to prompt so many messages. 

He’s surprised to see that everything is true. It’s mostly boring stuff, though, about his favorite movies and books and what he wants to do when he graduates college next year. She used a picture of him from when he was a lifeguard. He hadn’t known the picture was being taken, at the time, had only known when the lifeguard that took it gave him a copy. It was of him standing beside the pool at the end of his shift, laughing at something Laura had said.  
Erica also knows enough about him to know that he’s rarely interested in girls so she only selected guys for who he’s interested in, and Derek is thankful for that. He doesn’t want to think about how many more messages he would have had if she had widened the selection to include girls as well, and besides Kate, the only girl he’s ever even had even a slight crush on was a girl he met at the library one time, and that only lasted about a week, so it really wasn’t likely he would fall for some girl he met online. 

He takes a deep breath and clicks back over into his inbox. Most of the messages say stuff like “Dick pics, please,” and “I bet you could really break somebody apart. Wanna try it?” and they only get an eye roll from Derek before he hits delete. If he is going to try dating someone he wants them to like him for something other than just the way he looks. He’s about to give up when a message finally gets his attention. 

_Hey,_  
_You want to be a firefighter? That’s awesome. I’m at college right now too, but I really want to be a police officer. Same as my dad. Well, he’s the sheriff, actually. I just want to do something bigger than myself, you know? I’m sure you do, with you wanting to be a firefighter and all._  
_Stiles_

Derek is a little intrigued. He clicks through to the guy’s profile and is greeted with a close-up picture of a wiry guy with soft brown eyes, and messy bed head. The guy has pale skin with a splattering of moles clustered by his ear and on his neck. He’s kind of gorgeous, and in a purely shallow sense of things Derek really just wants to know what the guy would look like with his face in between Derek’s legs and Derek’s hand in his hair. Derek isn’t into the whole casual sex thing though, not since what happened with Kate. He has to be sure he can trust people now, before he lets them in that much. He needs to know there’s more to Stiles than just his looks. He scans the guy’s profile and sees that he’s majoring in criminology at a college about three hours from where Derek lives, and that the guy’s interests include going for runs and marathoning TV shows.

Derek is definitely a little interested so he clicks back to his own inbox and replies to the guy’s message. 

_Hey,_  
_The reason I want to be a firefighter kind of has to do with my family as well, and I definitely understand the “something bigger than yourself” thing. Since you’re into marathoning TV shows, maybe you can help me out and get my sister off my back. She’s always saying I am 300 years behind the rest of the world when it comes to watching TV. So, what’s something I absolutely have to watch?_  
_Derek_

He feels a little ridiculous about how nervous he feels after he hits send. The guy is basically a stranger; he shouldn’t care what the guy thinks about him or whether or not he even responds. Despite how much he tries to tell himself that, he’s massively relieved when he refreshes his inbox after clicking around on Stiles’ profile a little more and sees that he already has a new message from him. 

_You shouldn’t have asked me that. You have opened the floodgates, my friend. Okay, well, I’ll start with the classics, I guess. If you haven’t seen Criminal Minds, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, House or Veronica Mars, then you definitely need to make them first priority. Supernatural is another great one. Star Trek for sure. Also, Lost. I guess I’ll leave it there for now. I don’t want to scare you away. hahaha. If you start watching any of them though, definitely tell me what you think._

When Derek pulls up Netflix to see if he can find any of those shows, he feels a little ridiculous. Laura can’t even make him watch TV shows usually, but here he is looking up what some guy he barely knows suggested for him. He needs something to talk about with him, though, and TV shows are easy conversation. He finds Buffy first, but before he hits play he sends a message back to Stiles. 

_I’m checking out Buffy first. I’ll let you know what I think. If I don’t like it, you owe me 45 minutes of my life back, though._

He hits send and switches back over to Netflix hitting play on the first episode, and by the time he’s fifteen minutes into the first episode he’s already hooked. It’s a little cheesy, but it’s a nice distraction from his actual life, and Buffy is a total bad ass. Plus, he has a little thing for sarcasm and this show is full of it. He marathons the first few episodes and falls asleep watching it, waking up the next morning with a crick in his neck and his laptop balancing precariously on his stomach. 

He sits up and stretches, knowing it will only take a few seconds for the pain in his neck to go away, and looks at the time. He only has an hour before he has to be at class. He shuts his laptop and stands up heading into his room for a quick shower. 

***

He arrives at class with two minutes to spare with a cup of coffee in one hand and his laptop in the other. He slides into the first open seat he sees and opens his laptop pulling up the website so he can send Stiles a message. 

_I was almost late to class this morning and it’s completely your fault._

He watches his Intro to Lit professor head to the front of the crowded room and he opens up the document where he’s been taking notes for this class. He fidgets in his seat—caffeine doesn’t effect werewolves, so it’s not that. He’s just feeling kind of nervous about the amount of messages he has sent Stiles. It usually takes him months to become even this comfortable with talking to someone because as Laura is always saying, “He doesn’t actually know how to talk to people.” 

It has always been easier for him to talk to someone when they weren’t face to face, though. Which probably explains why he has already talked to Stiles more in the past day than he had to Erica and Boyd the entire first two months that he knew them. 

He tries his best to listen to his professor and take notes, but he keeps pulling his web browser back to the front and refreshing the page hoping for a new message from Stiles. Finally, with ten minutes left in the class, he refreshes the page and sees a new message from him.

_And how do you figure that?_

The teacher dismisses class before Derek has a chance to answer. He jots down the homework and runs out to meet Laura in the dining hall. She graduated a few years ago, but sometimes when she doesn’t work in the afternoon she meets him there for lunch. 

He walks into the dining hall and grabs some food before looking around for Laura. He spots her at a table in the back corner and heads back there to meet her. He sits down across from her and she greets him with, “Hey, little bro.” 

Derek nods and replies, “Hey, I just have to, uh…” trailing off as he opens his laptop. 

“What are you doing?” Laura asks, leaning forward to try and look over the top of his laptop screen.

“Nothing,” Derek replies. “Just finishing up some notes for class before I forget what he said.” 

Laura cocks an eyebrow at him like she doesn’t believe him. “You know I can hear your heartbeat, right? You lying sack of shit.” 

“Fuck, I hate it when you do that. Fine. I’ll tell you the truth, but you have to shut up about it afterward. It’s all your fault anyway.” 

Laura hovers her left hand close to the table just above her food and raises her right one in the air. “I swear, on this shitty chicken salad sandwich, that I will not make fun of you…much.” 

Derek rolls his eyes at her, but gives in. “I went on that dating site and most of the messages I got were just a bunch of horny people, but there was one guy who seemed cool so we’ve been messaging.” 

“Oh my god, you’re actually talking to someone?” Laura asks, raising her eyebrows to the point where they almost disappear underneath her bangs. 

“Yeah.”

“Let me see him,” she says, making grabby hands at Derek’s laptop. 

Derek sighs, but he knows there’s no use in arguing with her. He clicks over onto Stiles’ profile and turns the computer toward Laura. 

“He’s cute, and totally your type.”

Derek quirks an eyebrow. “My type?” 

“Please. Don’t give me that. You don’t even really like movies, yet I have still seen you watch every single Andrew Garfield movie in existence. You definitely have a type and it’s definitely lanky guys, with permanent bed head, and pretty eyes. Just like this guy.” 

Derek rolls his eyes again. “Give me my laptop back.” 

“Fine,” Laura says, turning it back around. “I can’t wait to tell Erica about this though. She owes me five dollars.”

Derek takes a moment to glare at Laura before he types his response to Stiles. 

_I was up half the night watching Buffy. It's addictive._

He closes his laptop up after that, not wanting to ignore Laura. 

“Any chance you can meet the guy soon?” she asks. 

“He goes to school three hours from here. So, if we even continue to talk it’ll probably be awhile before either of us makes that drive.” 

“Makes sense,” Laura says, as she takes a bite of her sandwich. “I just don’t think you’ve dated a single person since the fire, and if I thought it was just because you actually didn’t want to date someone I would drop it, but I’m scared you’re just afraid of getting hurt.” 

“That’s not true, anyway. I went out with that one guy,” Derek counters, salting his baked potato. 

“What guy?” Laura says. 

“That guy that worked at the bookstore.” 

“That was one date. It hardly counts,” she says, scraping at the leftover pieces of corn on her plate with her fork. 

“I don’t need someone to come fix me or anything.” 

“I don’t want anyone to fix you. God, if anyone you were dating ever even implied you needed fixing I’d punch them in the face. I just want you to stop punishing yourself and stop being afraid that something terrible is going to happen if you put yourself out there. It’s not about somebody sweeping in and making you all better, it’s about finding someone who likes all of you, even the rough parts, and about being brave enough to let yourself try again.” 

Derek rolls his eyes. “You’re so sappy sometimes.” 

She kicks him under the table. “I’m serious.” 

Derek doesn’t say anything just goes back to eating, and Laura drops it finally, changing the subject. 

“Did I tell you what happened the other day with those kids I've been so worried about?” she asks, and Derek shakes his head. Laura is a social worker. After the fire they had to deal with their fair share of them, and although Derek found them all annoying, something about the profession stood out to Laura and she switched her career path to that halfway through her freshman year. 

“Well, I was first assigned to them because some of their teachers were suspicious they were being abused, but I never had enough proof, right?” Laura asks.  
Derek nods encouragingly and Laura continues, “Well, when I was doing the interview with the youngest one, you know just asking him how school was going and stuff he crawled up in my lap and was like, ‘If I tell you something do you promise you won’t tell my dad,” and I told him that as long as he wasn’t hurting himself I wouldn’t. So, he climbed up higher and whispered in my ear that sometimes when his daddy is mad he throws stuff.” 

“Bastard,” Derek says, his voice rough. 

“So, I asked him if he’s ever hurt him, and he nodded, and I asked him how and he said that he hits him. So, I asked him when he last hit him and he said the night before, and I asked him if he had any boo boos from it and he nodded and showed me his stomach which had a pretty sizable bruise. So, I declared him in immediate danger and called the cops, and we got the kids out of there for now, but we have to actually prosecute him before the kids are out of there for good.” 

“I’m glad you got them out. I don’t know how you do that job. I would have ripped the dad apart limb from limb right there.” 

“I think that would have traumatized the kid more than anything,” Laura says, with a laugh. “I’m glad we got them out too, though. They’re going to have to go into the foster system, though, because he’s their only living relative, besides their grandmother, and she’s 90 and senile.” 

“Foster system is sometimes better than the alternative,” Derek says, and Laura smiles, but Derek can tell it’s a little forced. 

“Yeah, I’m sure they’ll be fine.” She still looks worried though. Derek can’t blame her, he’s worried for them, and he’s never even met them. People made him sick sometimes. 

***

When Derek gets home from his second class that day he heads for his room, collapsing on the bed and pulling his feet up so he can rest his laptop on his legs. He had a test in his second class and hadn’t been able to see if Stiles had responded. He logs into the site now though, and clicks over into his inbox. There are more messages from horny guys, but below a few of those is a response from Stiles. He clicks on it eagerly. 

_So you like it? Awesome. It’s incredible, but the later seasons will tear your heart out._

Derek doubts that. He doesn’t usually get emotional over TV shows, but instead of saying that he sends: 

_If that's true, you’re going to owe me some ice cream._

Stiles responds after Derek refreshes the site just a couple of times, and Derek doesn’t let himself think too much about what Stiles’ quick replies might mean. Won’t let himself explore the possibility that Stiles might be as inexplicably into Derek as Derek is to Stiles. 

_Oh. It’s true. I don’t care how big and tough you are. I’m going ahead and betting right now that the later seasons will make you cry, but don’t worry, when it happens, I will bring you ice cream and let you cry into my shoulder._

Derek doesn’t let himself think about that too much either, because it sounds ridiculously appealing. Not the crying, but lounging out with Stiles and eating ice cream while they watch TV; that sounds good. Derek opens a new tab and brings Netflix up, finding the last episode he watched before he had fallen asleep and hitting play, while he thinks of his response. Then he clicks back over to send: 

_I bet you just cry at everything. I bet you’re one of those people that cries when Uncle Ben dies in Spider-Man even though everyone knows it’s coming._

He makes himself watch an entire half of an episode before he clicks back over to see if Stiles has responded. He has another message from him so he clicks on it. 

_WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT UNCLE BEN’S DEATH. I don’t care that I know it’s coming, it’s still tragic as fuck. If you don’t think it’s sad when Uncle Ben dies, especially in the reboot of the movies, I don’t think we can be friends._

Derek smiles as he types his response. 

_I think it’s sad. I’m not completely heartless, just mostly heartless._

He watches the rest of the Buffy episode before he clicks back over to see he has another message from Stiles. 

_I don’t even believe that you’re mostly heartless, tough guy, and I’m on a mission to prove it by hitting you hard with emotional TV shows._

Derek types out a response. 

_I think you’d be surprised by just how tough I am._

There’s a lot he’s not saying in that message. He’s using it as a warning. Wants that one sentence to tell Stiles that Derek is closed off and guarded and not good at talking about his feelings. Wants it to mean more than just an extension of their banter about the TV show, and surprisingly Stiles seems to pick up on it, because his response is: 

_I think you’ll be surprised by how persistent I am._

Derek doesn’t think he’s just talking about getting him to watch TV shows, and Derek is a little stunned that the thought of somebody trying to break down his walls doesn’t send him running. He just knows he needs to let himself try for Laura’s sake. They’re each other’s only surviving family, and it’s Derek’s fault, and he would do absolutely anything for Laura, and if she wants him to start over then he’s going to have to swallow his pride and his fear and put in the effort. 

*** 

He gets out of his class early, the next day, and doesn’t want to go home just to come right back for his second class so he heads for the library. He opens his Calculus book and works on the set of problems that are due the next day. He’s only made it through a few problems when someone sits down across from him. He looks up to see Erica. 

“So,” she says, grinning at him with an evil glint in her eye. “Laura says you have a new boy toy.” 

“You know better than to listen to Laura,” Derek says. He takes a moment to glare at her, but then he looks back down at his book. 

“Uh, hello, Laura is my Alpha. I am, like, required to listen to her,” Erica says, and Derek notices that the girl a couple of tables over is looking at them like she’s scandalized and Derek realizes she probably overheard and thinks Erica is talking about some weird sex thing. 

He bites down on a smile, and Erica snaps her fingers in his face. “I’m waiting for details on the boy here,” she says. 

“There’s nothing to tell really. I’m talking to a guy. It’s not a big deal.” 

“Uh, yes it is. And by the way, I think it’s probably a good thing you guys met online.” 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Derek says, snapping a little, his brow furrowing up. 

“Calm down,” Erica says. “You know you’re grumpy attitude doesn’t work with me, anyway. I just mean, and you know I say this with love, but you can be a little scary when people have just met you. You look like a brick wall, and you just sit there glaring, and not speaking. It’s a little traumatic really.” 

“And?” Derek asks, only halfway paying attention to her, still working on his math problems. 

“And,” Erica says, drawing the word out. “I feel like you’re probably more open when you’re not face to face with someone.” 

Derek sighs, but makes no other indication that he even heard her. He knows she’s right, but he’s not willing to give her the satisfaction of him saying it out loud. She’d never shut up about it.

“Well, I have to go. Boyd is waiting for me. We’re going to taste cakes for the wedding.” 

“Pick a good one,” Derek says. “The cake is the only thing I’m looking forward to.” 

Erica sticks her tongue out at him as she walks out of the room backwards, speaking up to say, “Whatever you know you’re looking forward to the dancing the most.” 

Derek doesn’t dignify it with a response, just rolls his eyes, as other people in the library shush her for talking so loudly. Derek holds in a laugh as she flips them off and struts out of the library. 

When he finishes the problem set he pulls out his laptop and checks for more messages for Stiles, and is surprised to see there’s more than one. After watching a couple of more episodes of Buffy the night before Derek had sent him a message before he went to bed that said: 

_I feel personally betrayed by the fact that Angel is a vampire._

Stiles’ response was: 

_I see you’re already getting emotionally invested Mr. I’m Too Stoic to Let TV Shows Affect Me._

Then he had sent a message that said: 

_Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself, by the way?_

Followed by another one sent just a minute later that said: 

_Actually, can we please text instead? I really don’t want to have to log on here anymore. I keep getting messages from guys who want “to drill into my twink ass” and girls who “bet I look real good in a uniform”, and it’s beginning to get kind of old. Also gross. Really gross._

His phone number is tacked on at the end, and Derek just stares at it for a second before he makes up his mind. He feels a little thrill at the thought that even though Stiles doesn’t want to log onto the dating site anymore he does still want to talk to him, but he can’t help but wonder how many other guys and girls he sent that same message too. He pulls his own phone out and types out a text. “Hey, it’s Derek. Why don’t you tell me about yourself first.” He looks back at the screen and types Stiles’ number in carefully before hitting send. 

Then he makes himself get up and search the library for a book that can help him with his history project instead of just sitting there waiting for his phone to ring with Stiles’ response. He’s got books piled in his arms when he feels his phone buzz in his pocket. He leaves the bookshelf and hurries back to his table setting the books down with a hurried force and pulling his phone out as he sits back down. 

Stiles has sent, “Hmm, let’s see. How bout I give you 5 facts and then you give me 5 back about you. 1) My mom died when I was 12. 2) She had stomach cancer. 3) I live with one of my best friends Lydia in a shitty apartment off campus. My other best friend is named Scott and he lives with his girlfriend in the apartment next door. 4) I’ve never had a relationship with a guy or a girl that I would actually consider serious. 5) I hate my trig class.” 

Derek takes all that in and tries to decide what he should tell Stiles in response. He ends up typing, “1) My mom and dad both died when I was 16. 2) I live with my older sister, Laura, who is also my best friend. 3) My two other best friends are getting married to each other in a few months. 4) I love to swim. 5) I never know what to say about myself.” He doesn’t want to tell Stiles about the fire, and how many other family members he lost in it just yet. Stiles will probably start asking questions about it, and then he might figure out just how responsible Derek is for it. Derek doesn’t want to ruin things before they even have a chance to get started. 

He starts looking through the books so he can narrow it down to just one or two of them that will be the most helpful for his project while he waits for Stiles next text. When his phone buzzes after a few minutes Derek picks it up off the table and reads Stiles’ newest message. “I always wanted a sibling, despite what people say about only children being spoiled, it’s definitely more lonely than anything. My friend, Scott, is practically my brother, though. Even more so now that our parents are dating. We’ve been friends since fifth grade.” 

Derek breathes in and doesn’t let himself type all of the things that come to his mind first. Doesn’t tell Stiles about how he used to be an older brother as well as a younger one. Doesn’t tell him how quiet the world felt after the fire, without his younger siblings and his cousins always running through the house. Doesn’t tell him about how once, before the fire, he was climbing a tree with his younger sister and she fell off, snapping the bone in her arm on a branch as she toppled to the ground, and he thought his heart was going to beat through his chest. How he’ll never be able to forget that feeling. 

***

When Derek gets home later he sees two kids sitting on the floor. A girl who looks to be about five and a boy who looks around three. They’re both coloring but still manage to look both incredibly scared and sad and Derek’s heart aches. Before Derek has time to really think about what they’re doing there, Laura runs into the room. 

“Oh, good. You’re here,” she says. “These are the Frederick kids. Can I talk to you for a second?” 

Derek nods his head and she walks past him and into the hallway. Derek assumes he should follow. Laura stops right outside the door to his bedroom and turns back to him. 

“These are the kids I was telling you about. Their dad got convicted today, and they need to stay with us. The foster home they were in before had only agreed to keep them until the trial was over. It’ll just be for a few days, a week tops.”

“Is that even legal?” Derek asks. 

“Yeah, I got certified and everything to foster right after I became a social worker, remember? I’ve just never done it before, because I didn’t know how you would feel about it, and there’s never been an emergency. I’m still in the system though and these kids really need somewhere to stay. It’s okay, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Great, I need you to babysit for like an hour then,” Laura says, already running for the front door before Derek can object. “I’ll be right back. I just need to get them some stuff.” 

“But, Laura,” Derek starts, but it’s too late, she’s already halfway out the door. Derek sighs. He doesn’t know anything about taking care of kids. He thinks actually being in the same room as them might be a good place to start, though. He walks back into the living room, and crouches down in between them. 

“Hey, do you guys need anything?” he asks, thinking that’s as good a question as any. 

They look at each other for a while, before the girl finally answers. She says, “no,” but she’s biting her lip and won’t look Derek in the eye. He can also hear her heartbeat stutter over the word and can practically feel the discomfort rolling off her. So, he doesn’t quite believe her. 

“Wow, are you sure? Because I’m kind of hungry, and I was gonna make something to eat. I could make you something too if you were hungry.” 

The boy looks at him, and his bottom lip is a little quivery like he might be about to cry and it makes Derek kind of want to cry too. “I’m hungry.” 

“Now we’re talking,” Derek says, and he looks back over at the girl. “What about you? Are you hungry too?” 

“A little,” she admits, still looking very uncomfortable. 

“All right, let’s cook something. Do you guys want to help?” Derek asks, thinking maybe keeping them busy and distracted might be a good plan of action. 

They both grin a little as they nod and Derek stands up. “Okay, wait here a second. I’ll be right back.” He goes into their storage closet and digs around for a little before he finds their old high chair. The kitchen was relatively unscathed in the fire that killed the rest of his family, and therefore the high chair that they always kept tucked between the refrigerator and the wall, even when there weren’t kids small enough to need it, was one of the only things recovered from the house without too much damage. It was a little singed in places, but it was still sturdy and safe. He carried it into the kitchen and set it up, before going back into the living room. “All right come on you guys,” he says, holding out a hand for the girl and lifting the boy up. She grabs on and he leads her into the kitchen. He sits the boy in the high chair and then he picks the girl up and sets her up on the counter nearby her brother. “Be careful up there,” Derek says, “Don’t fall off.” 

She nods at him and scoots farther back so she’s not as close to the edge. Derek gives her a smile that he hopes is reassuring, and watches her for a second to make sure she isn’t going to move before turning to the refrigerator. He shuffles some things around in there, seeing what they have, before he decides on making fried chicken and mashed potatoes. He wants the kids to be able to help with something, though, so after he gets the ingredients out for that he looks around in the cabinets for some kind of brownie or cake mix. 

He finds a box of brownie mix stuffed behind some cans in one of the cabinets and pulls it down. He starts on the chicken and the mashed potatoes and once he has them both cooking he gets out the rest of the stuff they’ll need to make the brownies. 

“What’s your name?” he asks the girl. 

“Hallie,” she says. She’s squirming and biting her lip and Derek feels terrible for her. It can’t be easy to be taken out of the only home you’ve ever known and given to strangers, only to then be handed off to other strangers after just a few days. 

“All right, Hallie. Are you ready to help me?”

She nods her head, and Derek turns to her brother. “And what’s your name?” 

“Liam,” he says. He squirms in his chair, but he looks up and meets Derek’s eyes at least. 

“Are you gonna help us out too?” 

Liam nods his head, looking a little less apprehensive than his sister. 

Derek cuts open the bag of brownie mix, and turns back to Hallie. “Can you dump this in that bowl?” he asks, pointing at the mixing bowl. 

She nods at him, finally meeting his eyes with a determined look, like making these brownies is the most important thing she has ever done. Derek holds the bag out to her and she grabs it on the sides, toward the top. “Are you holding it tight?” Derek asks, and Hallie nods her head. Derek lets go and watches Hallie as she holds the bag over the bowl and tips the contents of the bag into it with a careful precision. 

When she’s done she looks back at Derek with a proud smile on her face and Derek smiles at her. “Great job.” 

He fills a measuring cup with the right amount of oil and turns to Liam, “All right, your turn, little man. Can you help me pour this oil into the bowl?” Liam nods at him and Derek moves the bowl onto the tabletop of the high chair, and holds out the cup of oil so that Liam can grab one side of it. He helps him pour the oil into the bowl and then holds up his hand for a high five. 

“Awesome,” Derek says, as Liam smacks his tiny hand against Derek’s. 

Derek refills the measuring cup with water this time and pours that into the bowl himself. He moves the mixing bowl back to the counter and looks at Hallie. 

“Okay, this next step is really important, Hallie,” Derek says picking up one of the eggs. “Watch me.” He taps the egg on the side of the bowl gently and pushes his thumbs in the hole pulling it apart slowly so Hallie can see how it’s done. “Your turn.” 

He hands her the other egg and watches as she taps it lightly against the bowl, a look of intense concentration screwing up her face. She pulls the shell apart and Derek sees a few flakes of the shell hit the bowl, but she does surprisingly well for someone her age. 

“Great job,” Derek says, scooping out the egg shell he can see with his finger. 

Hallie smiles at him, and Derek rummages around in a drawer until he finds a wooden spoon. He grabs it out and puts the bowl back on Liam’s high chair, handing him the spoon. “Can you stir that for me, buddy?” he asks. 

Liam nods and sticks his tongue out between his lips, stirring the batter as fast as his little arm will let him. Derek holds the sides of the bowl and watches with a smile. After a few minutes he stops him. 

“Great job,” he says, taking the bowl back and giving it a few final stirs before setting the bowl back on the counter. He pours the batter in a pan and sticks it in the oven. 

“Do you want to lick the spoon?” Derek asks, holding it out to Hallie. She looks at it with wide eyes for a second before nodding and grabbing it. Derek offers the bowl to Liam and he takes it, happily sticking his finger in and scooping up some batter before popping his finger in his mouth. Derek is dreading how hyper and messy they are going to be after this, but he just wants them to be happy. 

He sends a picture of the kids to Stiles as they happily lick up the batter, with the message “I think we managed to only end up with minimal amounts of egg shell in them.” The kids are covered in batter, but they look happier, and Derek is man enough to admit that he’s kind of drowning in how cute they are. 

Stiles texts him back quickly saying, “Who the heck are they? You’ve been withholding information. You have adorable children in your house, and you never even told me. That’s a capital offense, you know.” 

Derek rolls his eyes even though Stiles can’t see it and replies with, “Laura's a foster parent and she's taking care of them for a week or so, but she had to go get them some stuff. So, I’m babysitting and we were all hungry.” 

“The thought of you babysitting is frankly a little terrifying. Do you even know how to take care of children?” 

“I am wounded by your distrust. I am excellent at babysitting.” 

“You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?” 

“Not a clue.” Derek hadn’t been very old when his younger sister, Cora, was born, and he hadn’t really helped out with her much. 

***

He’s putting the chicken and the potatoes into serving dishes when Laura comes through the front door. 

“Where are you guys at?” she asks, raising her voice so the kids will be able to hear her. 

“In the kitchen,” Derek responds, bending over to pull the brownies out of the oven. 

Laura walks in and seems to take in the sight in front of her. “I see you guys cooked,” she says, smiling at the kids. 

They’re a complete mess and Derek feels a little bad, but they’re smiling, and Derek thinks that’s really the only thing that matters right now. 

“Come on, let’s get you guys cleaned up for dinner,” Laura says, hoisting the kids up into her arms. 

Derek watches them leave the room, whispering, “Sorry,” in a voice that would only be loud enough for Laura to hear. She shakes her head in response and  
Derek moves to put the food on the table. 

After the table is set, he sits down in one of the chairs, pulling out his phone so he can text Stiles. 

“I hope the kids stay longer than a week,” he types out, hitting send. 

“Have they already managed to weasel their way into your blackened heart?” Stiles sends back. 

“I just don’t want them to keep getting shoved around.” 

“Plus, they’re pretty cute, right?” 

“They are.”

***

When Derek gets up the next morning Laura is in the kitchen scrambling eggs for the kids. "You don't have class until ten, right?" she asks. 

"Right." Derek takes a glass out of the cabinet so he can pour himself some orange juice. 

"I have to leave for work, and I'm going to take Liam to a daycare on the way, but I need for you to take Hallie to kindergarten in half an hour. She goes to Washington Elementary. Can you?" 

Derek nods. 

"Awesome," she says, taking the eggs off the eye and dishing them out onto plates. "Liam and I are about to leave as soon as I feed him this. I’ll put her booster seat in your car when I leave. Help yourself to some eggs if you want."

He smiles and gets a plate out for himself, dipping the last of the eggs onto it and shoveling them into his mouth. He can hear Laura talking to the kids in the dining room and before too long she comes back out carrying Liam. "All right," she says, "We're leaving. We'll see you later, Derek." 

Liam flaps his hand in the air as a parting gesture and Derek moves into the dining room so he can keep an eye on Hallie while she finishes eating. He sits down at the table across from her, and watches while she eats slowly, raking her fork across her plate until her eggs have been mutilated. 

"I think your eggs are dead now," Derek teases, cracking a smile when he sees Hallie's mouth turn up at the edges just a little bit. 

"Do I really have to go to school today?" she asks, her voice sounds small and Derek can hear her heartbeat thundering in her chest. 

"Yeah, but it'll be fine, and if you need anything all you have to do is tell the teacher and she can call me and I'll come." 

Hallie tugs her bottom lip between her teeth, seeming to mull that over. "Okay."

“Eat up. We have to go soon.” 

Hallie nods and they eat the rest of their eggs in silence. 

“You ready to go?” he asks. 

She nods and Derek helps her down from her chair. “Go grab your backpack.” 

She runs off toward the living room and Derek gathers up their dishes, carrying them to the sink. He rinses them off and heads into the living room. He picks up his own backpack from beside the couch and grabs Hallie’s hand. “Let’s go.” 

They walk out to the car together and Derek opens the door, and takes Hallie’s backpack off, sitting it in the floorboard before picking Hallie up, placing her in the booster seat, and buckling her in. 

***

When they get to school Derek pulls up to the front door and stops the car. He reaches back to unbuckle Hallie’s booster seat. 

“What are you doing?” she asks, and Derek can hear her heartbeat speed up. 

“Letting you out,” he responds. 

“You aren’t going to walk me to class?” she asks, her expression panicked. 

“Did something happen that makes you not want to go to school?” Derek asks. He’s pretty sure that kids usually only want to be walked to class on the first day, and school has been in session for several months. 

Hallie doesn’t answer, just looks away, bowing her head. 

“You can talk to me about it. I want to help.” 

When she speaks it’s so quiet that if Derek wasn’t a werewolf he’s not even sure he’d be able to hear it. “Everyone’s been treating me weird, because they know I don’t live with my daddy anymore.” 

“Treating you weird like being extra nice and stuff?” Derek asks, remembering what it was like for him at school after he lost his family to the fire.

“Some of them,” she says, nodding, “but others are being mean.” 

“Are they making fun of you?” Derek asks, feeling sick that kids could be that cruel.

Hallie nods her head and Derek fights down the urge to go in there and just start screaming at every single person in her class. 

“Anyone who makes fun of you just does it to make themselves feel better. Which I know doesn’t really help you feel any better, but if you just ignore them and don’t let it know it bothers you they’ll get bored and move on, but if they keep on you should really tell a teacher.” 

Hallie nods, but Derek can see tears threatening to spill over in her eyes. 

“It’ll be okay. I promise. I’m gonna go park and I’ll walk you in, okay? And don’t forget Laura and I are both just a phone call away if anything happens.” 

Derek pulls forward and finds a parking spot. He gets out of the car and goes around to let Hallie out. After he sets her on the ground he grabs her hand. “Okay, lead the way.” 

She walks toward the school, leading Derek along, and after leading him down a few hallways she stops in front of a door. The door is open and Derek can see a young teacher inside, crouching down to talk to a student. She looks up and sees Derek and Hallie out in the hallway and stands up to walk to the door. 

“Is everything okay?” She asks.

“Hallie was just feeling a little nervous today. I think she’s gonna be fine though. She just wanted me to walk in with her.” 

Derek crouches down so that he’s eye level with Hallie. “You’re gonna be fine. I promise. Laura will be here to get you when you get out of class, okay?” 

Hallie nods and steels herself like she’s preparing for battle. 

“Now, give me a hug, and get in there,” Derek says, pulling Hallie close and squeezing her in a hug. When he releases her he sticks out his hand to ruffle her hair, and then waves her into the classroom. She cracks a small smile and heads inside. The teacher smiles at her as she goes but stays in the doorway. 

“You’re great with her,” she tells Derek. 

“She’s a great kid, but I actually wanted to talk to you. She’s been getting bullied and I was just wondering if you could keep an extra close eye on her for a few days.” 

“Definitely. Thanks for letting me know. I’m Anna, by the way.” 

“Derek. My sister and I are taking care of Hallie for a while. I should actually give you both of our numbers. We’ll be her new emergency contacts for a while.” 

“Great,” Anna says. “Let me get you something to write with.” She walks in the classroom and finds some paper and a pen and brings it back out to Derek.  
Derek writes down his and Laura’s numbers and hands them back. 

“Thanks for keeping an eye on Hallie.” 

“Not a problem,” Anna says, and Derek gives her a slight smile before walking back to his car. 

Derek decides to just go ahead and go on to school even though he still has a while before his first class. He has some homework and he can get it done in the library. Before he pulls out, though, he sends a text to Stiles, “Kindergartners have apparently gotten a lot meaner since I was in school.” 

When he pulls in at school he gathers his stuff up and heads for the library. When he walks in he sees Boyd and Erica at one of the tables and he sits down at it across from Erica.

“Hey, we heard you guys have some kids living with you. When do we get to meet them?” Erica asks. 

“You guys can come by tonight if you want.” 

“Can we do a movie night?” Erica asks. 

“Yeah, but I guess you should bring something kid appropriate.” 

“Aye-aye,” Erica says, saluting. Boyd shoots her a small private smile and Derek can see him grab her hand under the table. 

Derek pulls out his phone to see if Stiles has responded and he has. “What happened? Did you get jumped by some in the parking lot?”

Derek snorts and Erica looks over at him with surprise. “Oh, are you talking to your man?” 

“He’s not my man,” Derek says, rolling his eyes at her. 

“Your man, your boy toy, your main squeeze, whatever you wanna call it,” Erica says, leaning forward with a grin. 

“I wanna call it a guy that I’m casually talking to,” Derek replies. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” is Erica’s reply. 

Derek ignores her and sends, “No, kids are bullying Hallie, the little girl that’s staying with Laura and I, because they know she got taken away from her dad.” 

“Wow, those kids are bitches. Which is something I never thought I’d say, but there it is.” 

Derek snorts, and Erica raises an eyebrow. 

“Well, as much as I wish we could stick around and watch you fawn over your crush Erica and I have to get to class,” Boyd says. 

Erica high fives him and Derek just glares until they leave. After they’re gone he texts Stiles, “They are. My friends are coming over later though and I told them to bring a kid friendly movie so hopefully that’ll cheer her up if people from school were dumb.” 

“I’m sure it will. Let me know if I need to drive up there and kick some kindergarten ass.” 

“I’m pretty sure they’d send you to jail for that.” 

“Nah, perks of being the sheriff’s son.” 

“I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work like that when you beat up five year olds.” 

“I don’t think you understand how well liked my dad is.”

***

When Derek gets home from class Laura is helping Hallie paint her nails in the living room. 

“Looking good,” he comments about Hallie’s nails before sitting down on the couch and watching Liam play with some action figures, knocking them into each other as if they’re fighting. “Erica and Boyd are coming over soon. They should probably be here any minute actually.” 

“Oh good, I was hoping they could meet Hallie and Liam.” 

Derek gets out one of his books and studies for awhile until the doorbell rings. “I’ll get it.” He hops up and heads for the door, pulling it open to reveal Erica and Boyd. 

“Hey, we brought Toy Story,” Erica says, holding up the DVD case. 

“In that case you may enter,” Laura says, and Derek steps back, opening the door wider and letting them come in, closing it back behind them. 

Laura puts the last stroke of polish on Hallie’s pinky finger and then Hallie sidles up behind her, peaking out from behind her shyly. 

“Hallie, Liam, these are our friends, Erica and Boyd. Can you say hi?” 

“Hi,” Liam says without looking up, continuing to smash the action figures into each other. 

Hallie mumbles out something that sounds vaguely like, “Hello,” and Boyd moves a little closer to her, kneeling down. 

“Hey, I like your nails. They’re very pretty,” he says. 

Hallie’s eyes light up and she leans out a little more from around Laura and leans in closer to Boyd, cupping her hand around Boyd’s ear and whispering, “Can I paint your nails?” 

Erica and Derek snicker and Laura glares at him, silently communicating that he better say yes or face her wrath, but it’s not necessary Boyd is already nodding. 

“Sure.” 

Derek looks over at Erica expecting her to be smirking, but instead she looks like she’s melting into a pile of goo. 

“I always knew you were just a big softie. I have the best fiancé and all of you should be jealous.” 

She walks over to Boyd and bends over to kiss his forehead and he smiles at her, soft and private, and Derek and Laura grin at each other across the room, happy that their friends are so happy together. 

***

Derek is in between classes the next day when Laura texts him, “Can you pick up Hallie and Liam? Someone called out of work at the last minute and I’m covering some of his appointments. I can drop by your school and put Liam’s car seat in your car.” 

“Yeah. Hallie gets out at 3:30 and then I just pick up Liam after that, right?” 

“Yes, thank you so much, Derek. I’ll grab dinner on the way home. So, don’t worry about that.” 

***

When he gets to the front of the carpool line, Hallie throws open the door and clambers inside and up on to her booster seat, and Derek turns around and helps buckle her in. 

“Where’s Laura?” Hallie asks, as they pull out. 

“She’s working late. She’ll be home for dinner, though.” 

“Oh,” Hallie replies, falling silent. 

“Was school okay today?” Derek asks, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. 

“I guess. Ms. Thomas says I’m a really good reader.” 

“That’s awesome. You should read me a bedtime story tonight.” 

“Okay,” Hallie says, her voice going higher with excitement. 

After they pick up Liam too Derek gets an idea. “Hey, do you guys want to go out for ice cream?” 

“Yeah!” 

“All right, awesome,” Derek says, making a turn for the nearest ice cream shop. 

After they pull into the parking lot Derek finds a spot and gets out. He helps the kids get out of their car seats, lifting Liam into his arms and grabbing Hallie’s hand as they walk across the parking lot. 

“All right, what do you guys want?” he asks as he heads through the door of the shop. 

“Chocolate cone,” Liam says, at the same time Hallie says, “vanilla cone.” 

“Okay,” Derek says, and then he turns to the cashier ordering their cones and a cherry milkshake for himself. 

After they get their ice cream they sit down and the kids immediately dig in. 

Derek takes out his phone and sends Laura a text. “I’m getting ice cream with Hallie and Liam. I don’t know when you’re getting home, and I wanted to let you know where we were if you beat us there.” 

After he hits send he writes one to Stiles as well. “I took Hallie and Liam out for ice cream. I feel like I’m going to regret this. I feel major sugar rushes coming on.” He takes a picture of the kids with ice cream all over their face and tacks it on before hitting send. 

“Hey Derek?” Liam says, his head tilted to the side as he tries to lick up the rest of his ice cream before it melts. 

“Yeah, buddy?” Derek asks.

“Can we go to the park?” 

“Sure,” Derek replies, watching as ice cream drips down Liam’s hand before he can eat it all. He looks over at Hallie and sees that she is a little cleaner than Liam, but is still pretty covered in ice cream. “Let’s get you guys cleaned up first, okay?” 

When they get to the park and Derek gets them out of their car seats they take off. 

“Guys,” Derek says. “Stay close, and watch out for each other. I’ll be right over here watching.” He points to a nearby bench and they nod. 

He sits down and watches them for a little while, making sure that they’re safe, and checking for any kind of threats before pulling his phone out. He has a text from Stiles that reads, “Someone’s gunning for the title of cool uncle.” 

Derek rolls his eyes and sends back, “I’m not even their uncle.” 

“You pretty much are. At least for the time being,” is Stiles’ response. Derek ignores the warm feeling he gets at the thought of that and looks up, checking on the kids. They seem to be playing hide and go seek with some other kids, none of whom strike Derek as any kind of threat. 

He types back, “I guess you’re right,” and hits send.

“Damn right, I’m right,” is Stiles’ response. 

***

“Hey Hallie, are you ready to read me that bedtime story?” Derek asks, when they’re sitting around a few hours after dinner. 

“You have to be in bed first, silly,” she replies, looking up from the toy train she had been crashing into the wall repeatedly. 

“Yeah, silly,” Laura says, grinning at him as she nudges his leg with her toes, from her position on the couch next to him. 

“All right then, come on,” Derek says, standing up and walking toward his bedroom. Hallie follows close behind him, he can hear her feet padding on the carpet behind him. He goes in his room and gets under his covers. 

“I have to go get a book,” Hallie says, running out of the room and coming back a few moments later armed with her favorite book The Lorax. 

She climbs up on his bed and says, “Okay, you have to be tucked in first,” before pressing the blanket in closer to Derek with careful precision, her tongue sticking out between her teeth with the force of her concentration. “There, that’s better,” she says, crawling back down to the end of the bed, sitting down near his feet and opening the book. 

She reads to him carefully, stumbling over some of the harder words. She apologizes every time she can’t quite figure out a word, but Derek just grins at her and says “It’s okay, just sound it out,” and helps her if she still can’t get it. When she nears the end of the book, Derek hears someone lean against the doorframe and turns to see Laura. 

They smile at each other and when Hallie finishes Laura says, “All right, come on, it’s time to get you in your pajamas and read _you_ a bedtime story.” 

Hallie nods and crawls off the bed, turning to say goodnight to Derek before she leaves. 

Derek listens closely from his room and after Laura has tucked Hallie and Liam in and read them a story he creeps back out of his room to the living room. Laura is sitting on the couch and he sits down by her. 

“So, how’s life?” Laura asks. 

“It’s good. School and stuff has been good. How’s life for you?” 

“It’s all right. Work’s been a little stressful and I’m worried about Hallie and Liam, but hey, how’s that guy you’ve been talking to?” Laura asks with an excited smile. 

“He’s cool. It’s not a big deal though.” 

“Come on, give me some details. What’s he like?” 

“I don’t know. He’s funny. I like talking to him,” Derek says, itching to check his phone for any new messages now that they’re talking about Stiles. 

“Wow, look at you, you’re practically gushing.” 

“I barely even said anything,” Derek says, shoving at her gently. 

“That’s gushing for you though.” 

Derek doesn’t dignify that with a response, just rolls his eyes instead. 

“Oh, but hey, how did it go with the kids today?” 

“It was fun. We went to the park.” 

“Good, and are you, you know, okay?” Laura asks. 

“Yeah, why?” Derek responds, looking over at her as she tucks her feet up under her body. 

“There just hasn’t been anybody sharing our house sin-… in a while,” she says, changing the sentence half way through, but her unspoken “since before the fire” still hangs in the air. 

“I’m good, Laura. They’re awesome kids, and I’m gonna miss them when they end up leaving for another home.” 

“Are they already feeling like family to you too?” Laura asks, and he can hear her heartbeat stuttering as she waits for his reaction. Derek listens harder, straining to hear the kids heartbeats a few rooms over, and relaxes when he picks up on their steady rhythm.

“Yeah,” he says, and panic wells up inside him when he realizes just how true it is. They feel like family and they aren’t going to be sticking around. Derek will lose them, lose more of his family. He feels sick. “I’m going to bed,” he says, hurriedly standing up, and rushing down the hallway. He hears Laura calling after him, but he ignores her, closing himself inside his room. 

***

When he gets home from school the next day Laura comes into the living room to talk to him. 

“Hey, after dinner Erica and I are going out to a club. I’m going to try to find someone I might want to go out with, try to keep up my end of our bargain. Boyd already volunteered to babysit. Do you want to help him or do you want to come?" 

“I’ll help him.” 

“All right, awesome, well we’re having stir fry for dinner. Do you want to help? Or do you have a lot of homework.” 

“I can help.”

***

After dinner there’s a knock on the door and Derek goes to answer it. It’s Erica and Boyd and after they come in Erica and Laura hurry away to Laura’s room so Erica can help her pick out something to wear. 

Boyd and Derek head into the kitchen to clean the kids off, from where they made messes of themselves eating dinner. After they get the kids cleaned off and bring them into the living room to play with them, Laura and Erica come back into the living room. 

Laura has her hair curled and she’s wearing a sparkly black dress. Erica makes her spin for everyone and they all clap for her. “You look so pretty, Laura” Hallie says, and everyone nods their heads in agreement. 

“Thank you. Well, we’re going. Wish me luck,” Laura responds. 

“Good luck,” Derek says and they all wave as Laura and Erica make their exit. 

“All right, what do you guys want to do before you have to go to sleep?” Derek asks when the door shuts behind them. 

“Can we play dress up?” Hallie asks. 

“Sure, go get your clothes.” 

Hallie runs out of the room and comes back just a few moments with her arms full of dresses and other accessories. 

“Okay, I’m gonna be the princess. What do you want to be Liam?” 

“The king!” he says, digging a crown and a clip on bow tie out of the clothes Hallie brought into the room. 

“Okay, and you’re going to be the prince,” she says pointing at Boyd. “And you’re the evil villain,” she says, pointing at Derek. 

She hands Boyd a crown and Derek a cane and then pulls a frilly dress on top of the clothes she was wearing, before wrapping a feather boa around her neck, finishing off her look by placing a tiara on top of her head. 

The kids run around the living room, telling Derek and Boyd what to do and Hallie ends up saving Boyd from Derek’s clutches multiple times before she dramatically falls to her death in the middle of a battle and Liam and Boyd have to work together to defeat Derek and avenge her. 

After a couple of hours the kids are exhausted and they go to bed easily. Both of them falling asleep while Boyd is in the middle of reading them a story. Boyd and Derek head back into the living room and after they sit down Derek takes out his phone to text Stiles. 

“Sorry, I’ve been kind of busy tonight. I was babysitting Hallie and Liam with my friend Boyd.” 

“It’s okay. I was writing a massive paper anyway.” 

Derek sends back, “Oh yeah, for what class?” before laying out across the couch. 

“Are you texting that guy?” Boyd asks. 

“Yeah, I am.” 

“Cool. Erica wanted me to make sure and ask how that was going. Well actually she told me to make sure and get all the dirty deets. But, yeah, how’s it going?” 

“It’s okay. He’s fun to talk to, but it’s not that serious yet. I’d like to meet him though.” 

“Yeah, that’s good.”

Derek turns on the TV and he and Boyd fall into a companionable silence. Neither of them tend to talk all that much and they’re both actually pretty exhausted from playing with the kids all night. 

After a few hours Laura and Erica come back, sneaking through the front door quietly so they don’t wake the kids. 

“So, how did things go?” Derek asks. 

“It was fun. I danced with a few people. But I didn’t have much luck, there wasn’t anybody I was interested in actually going out with or anything.” Laura responds. 

“There was this really hot girl she danced with that I think she should have asked for her number, but Laura said she didn’t seem interesting enough.” 

“She didn’t,” Laura insists. “We didn’t really talk at all or anything.” 

“I still think you should have given her a chance. But, hey, I guess we should go. Boyd and I have to be up early to meet the wedding planner.” 

“All right, bye guys,” Laura says. “Thanks for going with me, Erica, and thanks for helping babysit, Boyd.” 

“No problem,” they both echo before leaving the apartment. 

“Well, I am exhausted. I think I’m going to go to bed. You gonna stay out here for awhile?” Laura says, heading for the hallway.

“Yeah, I think I’m gonna watch a couple of episodes of Buffy before I go to sleep,” Derek says, grabbing the remote to turn on the tv and pull up Netflix. 

He pulls out his phone as he hits play on an episode and picks up in the middle of the episode he had left off on the day before. And sends a text to Stiles, “I don’t understand why everyone always makes such a big deal out of the fact Buffy is dating a vampire. I mean, he’s got a soul, he’s not out there killing people.” 

He settles into the couch and Stiles sends back. “Yeah, they are pretty intense about it. Personally I don’t see what the big deal is either.” 

“Are you telling me you would date a vampire?” Derek asks, realizing that even though it’s one thing to talk about hypothetically dating a vampire, and a completely different thing to actually find out someone you know is a werewolf this might still be able to give him a little insight into how likely Stiles is to go screaming into the woods if Derek tells him that he’s a werewolf. 

“If he had a soul, yeah. Well, actually, if he’s as hot as Angel, he doesn’t even need a soul.” 

“Of course,” Derek says, hating the pangs of jealousy he gets. He and Stiles haven’t known each other very long, and Angel isn’t even a real person. 

“Aw, don’t get jealous, babe. You’re way hotter than Angel. I’d choose you over him, any day. Well, most days, anyway.” 

“I’m flattered.” 

“I can hear the sarcasm in your response and I don’t appreciate it.” 

“You can’t hear anything in my response it’s a text, it doesn’t make noise.” 

“Someone’s mouthy tonight. I must have hit a nerve.” 

“Don’t flatter yourself.” 

“Whatever, you’re scared I think Angel is hotter than you. Shh, it’s okay. Let me reassure you. Angel is hot, but have you seen yourself? I mean he’s movie start hot, but you’re, like, porn star hot.” 

“Porn star hot?” 

“Yeah, it’s a thing, okay? There’s a whole scale. It goes, ugly people, average people, normal people, hot people, model hot people, movie start hot people, and then porn star hot people. Duh, where have you been your whole life?” 

“In the real world, where we don’t rank hotness on a scale.” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep the insults coming, buddy.” 

“Stiles?” 

“Yeah?”

“You know you’re porn star hot too, right?” 

“So, you admit it is a good scale.”

***

_Derek is walking toward the house he used to live in with his family, but it all feels wrong. The forest smells like fire and ash and burning flesh and his stomach rolls and gives a dangerous lurch. As he comes through an opening in the trees, he can see that his house is ablaze and that it’s falling down and he can hear the screams of the family members trapped inside._

Derek sits bolt upright in bed, panting heavily, as he tries to recover from the dream. It’s one he’s had many times before especially right after the fire, but it never gets any easier. It’s not even something that really happened. He was at school when the fire happened and someone came there to tell him about it, but he’s had the dream so many times that it almost feels real now. 

He forces himself to lie back down and focus on tensing and relaxing different parts of his body until his mind stops racing and he can fall back asleep. 

***

After he gets out of classes the next day Derek comes home and find Hallie on the floor of the living room working on homework while Liam plays with some blocks nearby. He can hear Laura bustling around in the living room so he sits down by Hallie. 

“Need any help?” he asks. 

“Uh, yeah,” Hallie says, glancing at him briefly before looking back down at her paper. 

“Okay, let’s see what you’re working on here,” Derek says, leaning over to look at her paper.

“Oh, addition, fun stuff,” Derek says. “Hey, Liam, could I borrow a few of those blocks, buddy?” 

“Yeah,” Liam says, scooping up a handful and handing them over to Derek. 

Derek looks at her next problem and sees that it’s 5+3. He sits down five blocks on the floor in front of Hallie and says, “Okay, so there’s five blocks here.  
Then if I add three more blocks,” he says, setting three more down in front of her, “can you tell me how many we have now?” 

Hallie points at each block and counts underneath her breath before finally saying, “Eight.” 

“That’s right. So the answer to this problem is eight. Do you understand?” 

“Kind of,” Hallie says, scrunching up her face. 

“All right, let’s do the next one,” Derek says, reading 7+4 off the paper.

He sets down seven blocks in front of her, and says, “Okay, how many blocks is that?” 

She takes another moment to count before saying, “Seven.” 

“Right, so then if I add four more blocks,” he says setting them down. “How many do we have now?” 

She takes another moment to count before saying, “Eleven.” 

“That’s right. I think you’re getting the hang of it now. I’m gonna go sit down on the couch, but let me know if you need more help, okay?” 

“Okay,” Hallie says, looking back down at her paper. Derek gets up and walks over to the couch, and lays out across it, pulling out his phone to text Stiles. 

“I was just helping Hallie with some homework. I don’t even remember getting homework in kindergarten. What are you doing?” 

Stiles texts back, “Scott is here. He wa sfsf;s sdkee IF YOU HURT STILES I WILL FIND YOU AND I WILL CAUSE MAJOR BODILY HARM.” 

Derek laughs, and a few moments later another text comes through. “Sorry, he stole my phone. Literally yanked it right out of my hands. I had to actually wrestle with him to get it back. Scott’s a great friend, really protective as you can see. He’s also reading this over my shoulder so I have to add in that he’s also A MAJOR PAIN before his head gets too big.” 

“He seems like a good friend,” Derek sends back. 

“He is. Oh, and hey, my friends and I are heading down closer to where you live this weekend. Would you be interested in bringing your friends and meeting us there for dinner? It’ll suck that we won’t be able to have any time alone the first time we meet, but I want to meet you in person and just, yeah, this is our best opportunity at the moment.” 

He reads the text a few more times before he makes up his mind. “Hey Laura,” he says, loud enough where he’s sure she can hear him.

“Yeah,” she asks back, not even bothering to raise her voice above normal level since she knows he’ll be listening for her response. 

“You doing anything this weekend?” 

She appears in the doorway and leans against it. “No, why?” 

“Want to come with me to meet Stiles and his friends?” 

“You’re seriously asking me to come with you to meet your boyfriend?” she asks, a truly evil look on her face.

“I’m going to regret this aren’t I?” he asks. 

“Definitely,” is all she says before she leaves the room, probably off to hunt down the most embarrassing baby pictures of him she can find. At first he can’t decide if he’ll be better or worse off asking Boyd and Erica to come too, but he doesn’t want to look weirdly codependent with his sister so he calls Erica up. She promises that Boyd and her will both come and that they’ll try not to embarrass him too much. He can hear Boyd laughing in the background though, so he doesn’t really believe her. He texts Stiles back after they hang up.

“Sounds fun. It might be a good thing to have some other people there the first time anyway. I don’t talk as much in person.” 

“From what I’ve been told you’re straight up broody. But it would have been cool anyway. I don’t mind quiet.” 

“I knew Erica had been texting you behind my back. I don’t even know how she managed to get your number, but I’m going to kill her.”

“I’ll never divulge my sources. For all you know it could have been any of your friends who told me that.” 

“Well, then maybe I’ll just have to kill them all. Make a clean job of it.” 

“You probably shouldn’t discuss killing people with the sheriff’s son. But don’t worry if all of your friends go missing I’ll delete this conversation and act like it never happened. I’m here for you, buddy.” 

“Good, because if I thought you were a liability I’d just have to kill you too, you know.” 

“You wouldn’t even. You’d miss my sarcasm and my excellent taste in television shows too much.” 

***

Over the next few days, Stiles and Derek keep texting, their texts increasing in volume as the time to meet grows steadily closer. And when they walk into the restaurant on Friday night, Derek recognizes Stiles immediately, and one of Stiles’ friends, Scott, Derek thinks, nudges Stiles’ side and points and Stiles gets this ridiculous grin and jumps up from the table and rushes over. 

“Hi,” he says, and he’s still smiling that ridiculous smile and swaying close to Derek like he wants to kiss him but he isn’t sure he can. Derek is too nervous to close the gap so he turns to introduce Stiles to everyone else. 

“This is Laura, Boyd and Erica,” he says, gesturing toward them each in turn. “Everyone, this is Stiles.” 

“Hey,” Stiles says. “It’s so good to finally meet you guys.” Derek studies the side of Stiles’ face, memorizing the way his nose curves up at the end. He can’t believe he’s finally seeing him in person. “Come, sit.” Stiles adds, and he turns to walk back to the table, everyone falling into step behind him. 

Derek turns toward Laura to seek reassurance, but he sees that someone at the table has caught her eye and he follows her gaze to a pretty redhead at Stiles’ table, who doesn’t seem to have a date with her. 

“See something you like?” Derek asks her, under his breath. 

She turns toward him and says, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” before picking up her pace to catch up with Stiles and throwing her arm around his shoulder saying, “Remind me to tell you about the time Derek got a crush on his third grade teacher sometime.” 

Stiles turns to look at him with a goofy grin before turning back to Laura, and Boyd and Erica snigger to the right of Derek until he turns to glare at them.  
“Traitors.” They try to tamp down their smiles, but when Derek turns back away from them they start laughing harder. 

When they get to the table Laura, Derek, Erica and Boyd all shoot each other a look, because Scott smells like another werewolf, and so does one of the other boys at the table. It’s strong enough on both of them that it might be them, but it could also just be someone they’re really close with, and they aren’t sure which one it is, but it makes Derek relax just a little, because if Stiles’ best friend is a werewolf he might already know about them.

They look away from each other before anyone can notice anything odd, and Stiles introduces them to everyone. The redhead that had caught Laura’s eye ends up being Lydia, and they are also introduced to Scott, Allison, and Isaac, the other one who smelled strongly of wolf. They are sitting at a large circular table, and Laura sits down next to Lydia, proclaiming that Stiles absolutely has to sit on her other side so that she can grill him. “I have to know that you’ll treat my little brother right,” she says. Derek glares at her, but Stiles sits down happily so he takes the seat on Stiles’ other side. Boyd sits next to him, and Erica sits between Boyd and Isaac. 

“So, what was that you were telling me about Derek having a crush on his third grade teacher?” Stiles asks, and Derek chokes on the air and glares at his sister. 

“Don’t worry,” Lydia says. “When she’s done we’ll tell you all about the time Stiles got pantsed at my pool party.”

Stiles sticks out his tongue, and Laura laughs. “I like your friends already,” she says, catching Lydia’s gaze and holding it a little too long. Laura turns back to Stiles before anyone else can think anything weird of it though and launches into her story. 

“So, it was the second day of third grade for Derek, and when we got home our mom asked him how his day had gone and Derek gets this ridiculous smile and just blurts out that he’s going to marry Mr. Thompson and our mom is like ‘Oh really, and why is that?’ and Derek just goes on and on about how Mr. Thompson has the coolest reading voice and he’s reading them this awesome book called Matilda and how he brought him a juicebox when one of the fifth graders picked on him on the playground. It was pretty adorable.” 

“And then you guys laughed at me, and I never told you about any other crushes,” Derek chips in.

“Very true, but I have witnessed plenty of other embarrassing things you’ve done regardless.” 

Derek just glares at her. 

“All right, all right,” Lydia says. “I believe we promised you an embarrassing story about Stiles.” 

“I hate you all,” Stiles says, face going red. 

The waitress interrupts to take their orders and then Lydia launches into the story. “So, it was my 14th birthday, and me and Stiles weren’t really friends yet because he had this ridiculous crush on me, despite the fact he didn’t even really know me.” Stiles looks sheepish at that and Lydia continues her story, “but Allison had a crush on Scott and told me that I absolutely had to invite him, and that meant I needed to invite Stiles too, because Scott wouldn’t go to a party his best friend wasn’t invited to. So, Stiles is on the diving board bragging about how he’s going to do this totally awesome dive, and this douchebag I was dating at the time, comes up behind him and just pulls his swimsuit down in front of everyone. So, Stiles is standing there with it all hanging out long enough for everyone to see him before he gathers himself enough to pull them back up.” 

“Worst moment of my life,” Stiles says, burying his face in his hands. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, but just think, if It hadn’t happened we might never have became friends because I might not have taken pity on you.” Lydia’s tone is light and joking and Stiles snorts before he reaches around Laura to shove her playfully. 

The waitress brings their food and Isaac adds in, “Besides that’s not even your most embarrassing moment, remember that time you tripped down the stairs in the movie theater and your bag of popcorn went spilling out everywhere and everyone laughed.” 

“Oh my god,” Stiles says. “I hate you so much.” He mutters, “Can the earth please open up and swallow me right now?” before he turns toward Derek. “I swear I’m not as clumsy as that story makes me seem.” 

“I’ve done worse,” Derek says. 

Laura snorts. “And I can tell you all about them.” 

Stiles looks back at Derek. “I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea.” 

“I’m not going to judge you by the embarrassing stories your friends tell,” Derek says, and Stiles perks up, nudging him lightly in the side with his elbow and Derek smiles to himself. 

Scott grins at them both and says, “Looks like your sociology project turned out for the best, Stiles.”

Derek turns to Stiles in confusion, and Stiles looks like he’s going to throw up, and Derek can’t help but notice Lydia elbow Scott in the stomach out of the corner of his eye. Laura seems to figure out what’s happening a split second before Derek does because right before he jumps up from the table he sees her turn to Stiles with a murderous glare. Stiles follows him out of the restaurant, running to keep up with Derek’s long strides, and almost passes him by when Derek stops suddenly, whirling around to face him. 

“So, what? I was just some stupid experiment to you? When were you gonna tell me? Were you just going to see how long you could keep it going?”  
Stiles looks like someone has punched him in the gut, but Derek can’t stop. 

“God, I was so stupid. No, really, I am such an idiot. Have you just been laughing at me this whole time? I bet you print out my messages and share them with all your friends. Has anything you’ve ever told me even been true? Is your mom even dead?” Derek knows that last one is a low blow especially when Stiles looks up at him like he’s close to tears. 

“What? Jesus, yes, Derek. Everything I’ve ever told you has been true. What Scott said sounds a whole lot worse then it is.” 

“How am I ever supposed to believe you?” Derek says, turning away. Stiles grabs his arm and Derek yanks it away, but he turns back toward Stiles. 

“Just hear me out, please.” 

“No,” Derek says. He sees Laura coming out the front door along with Erica and Boyd and he rushes over to them, all of them heading to the car together. 

Stiles is saying, “Derek, please, just listen to me,” from his spot on the sidewalk, but Derek keeps walking. 

***

“You guys can go home, you know,” Derek says later, from his position on the floor. 

“We know we can go home, but we don’t want to. It is our duty as your best friends to ply you with ice cream and cookies and watch crap tv with you when stuff like this happens,” Erica says, popping up in the doorway to the living room with a bowl of ice cream that she holds out for Derek to take. 

“What did Stiles’ friends say after I ran out,” Derek asks, getting up to grab the bowl from Erica before promptly flopping back to the floor. 

“Nothing. Laura wouldn’t let them get a word in edgewise. I’ve never seen her that angry. It was kind of terrifying,” Boyd responds, turning on the TV and starting to flip through the channels. 

“Hey, I can hear you,” Laura shouts from the kids’ room where she’s tucking them into bed. 

“It wasn’t an insult,” Erica says. “You were awesome.” Then turning toward Derek she adds a little more explanation, “She got scary authoritative and shouted at them all about how they were immature little children for thinking something like this could be funny or a good idea.” 

“I’m just glad she didn’t hit anybody,” Derek says, picking up a massive spoonful of ice cream and shoving it in his mouth. 

“I can still hear you,” Laura says, her voice sounding gradually closer as she walks through the hall. She appears in the doorway and adds, “and don’t think I didn’t consider it. I just didn’t want to be thrown in jail for punching the sheriff’s kid.” 

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t. His friends probably think I overreacted enough already, and that would have made it worse, but I was starting to trust him, and you all know how rare that is from me.” 

“Yeah, we get it, and the fact he was using you for a project without telling you is really fucked up. You were totally justifiable in your anger,” Erica says, stealing the remote from Boyd, and then apologizing with a kiss to his cheek. 

She finds a channel playing a show about people trying to track down Bigfoot and tosses the remote on the couch. “This is exactly the kind of crap TV you need right now,” she says, nudging Derek’s leg with her toe. 

Five episodes and three bowls of ice cream later, Derek stretches out on the floor yawning loudly. “I think I’m going to go to sleep guys.” 

“We should all just sleep in here,” Laura says. “Just have a giant sleepover.” 

“I’m not five, Laura. I can handle being alone.” 

“It’ll be fun, Derek. Plus, I feel like we don’t get much pack bonding time anymore. We could use some,” she pleads, jutting out her bottom lip in a pout she knows he can never resist. 

He hates to admit it, but he actually doesn’t really want to be alone right now, despite what he had said to Laura. So, when she widens her eyes and makes the pout even harder to resist he caves. “Fine, if you guys want to.” 

Erica cheers and Boyd gives a slight smile, as Laura hops up and leaves the room, presumably to get sleeping bags and blankets. Derek’s suspicions are confirmed when she comes back minutes later with her arms overflowing with blankets and pillows. She drops them on the floor of the living room and they all start spreading them out. 

***

Derek wakes up to the soft sound of small feet running around the living room and the kind of raspy talking kids always do when they think they’re whispering, but are actually still speaking at a normal volume. 

“Liam, be quiet they’re sleeping.” Hallie says. 

“I’m hungry,” Liam responds, and Derek cracks an eye open, turning toward Laura who is opening her eyes with a sleepy smile. 

“It’s okay guys. We’re awake,” she says, sitting up and stretching out. 

“Speak for yourself,” Erica grunts out, turning over in her half asleep state and cuddling closer to Boyd. 

“I’m making pancakes,” Laura sing songs, trying to tempt Erica into getting out of bed. 

“I guess I could wake up for that,” Erica replies, opening her eyes. “What about you?” she asks nudging her elbow into Boyd’s side. 

“I’m getting up. Just give me a few minutes,” he replies. 

Derek checks his phone out of habit and sees he has a few missed calls, all from Stiles, and a text message reading, “If you give me a chance to explain, I promise you won’t regret it.” 

Derek shakes his head and exits out of the message. He wants to delete it, but he can’t bring himself to do it. He swears he won’t answer though, no matter how much Stiles tries to get in contact with him, even if it means having to let Laura hide his phone from him. 

***

**Two missed calls from Stiles Stilinski**

**From: Stiles Stilinski**  
_Derek, please answer my calls. Just let me explain. I promise it sounds a whole lot worse than it actually is._

***

 **Three missed calls from Stiles Stilinski.**

**From: Stiles Stilinski**  
_Please, Derek, it’s been two days now. Don’t you think you must have meant something to me if I’m still making an effort to make up with you?_

***

**One missed call from Stiles Stilinski**

**From: Stiles Stilinski**  
_Just five minutes. Please, just five minutes. I can explain everything._

***

**From: Stiles Stilinski**  
_Derek, please._

***

The next thing Stiles leaves is a voicemail and it’s almost enough to get Derek to cave. The first couple of moments are silence as if Stiles is having to build up his courage and then he says, “Derek, I just really need to talk to you. I think I may have been… I don’t know. I just...I need for you to hear me out. Just let me explain. Please just give me that much.” 

***

He’s sitting on the couch rereading all the texts from Stiles from the past week since the fight when Laura comes home from work with Hallie and Liam in her arms. She sets them down and they run off to their room to play while Laura comes and sits down on a chair in the living room with him. 

“Please don’t tell me you’re rereading texts and moping,” she says. 

“I’m not moping,” he answers and Laura gives him a look. 

“Uh huh, then what are you doing?” she asks. 

Derek doesn’t respond, just picks up the remote and starts flicking through the channels. He finds a channel playing the same show about Bigfoot that Erica had turned on the other day and pauses on it. He could use some more crap TV to get his mind off of Stiles, before he does something stupid, like call him back. 

Derek and Laura watch it together mostly in silence. Derek keeps fiddling with his phone, and he can feel the heat of Laura’s gaze on him when he opens his text message inbox. He still isn’t replying though, just rereading for the billionth time. 

There’s a knock at the door and Laura gets up to answer it, laughing as the people on the show proclaim that the sound echoing through the forest is most definitely from a “squatch.”

Her laugh ends abruptly when she gets the door open, and she spits out a disgusted, “Oh, it’s you.” Before she goes to shut it back. 

“Wait.” Derek hears a slightly familiar voice say as a high heeled shoe darts out to stop the door from shutting. 

“We’re not interested,” Laura says, her tone cold. 

Derek gets up to see what’s happening and is surprised to see it’s Lydia. 

“Please,” Lydia says, with a snort. “You seemed pretty interested before.” 

“Yeah, well I don’t really associate with people who are friends with people who fuck my brother over.” 

“Well, good, sweetie, because none of my friends fucked him over, and,” she turns her gaze from Laura to Derek, “if you had just listened to Stiles for ten seconds instead of being a petulant little three year old you’d know that.” 

“You need to watch the way you talk to him if you don’t want me to just break your foot with the door, sweetie” Laura says, her tone mocking on the last word as she throws it back at her, and leans in closer. 

“You just gonna let your sister fight your battle for you, Derek?” 

Derek shrugs. “Might as well. I don’t particularly care what you have to say, and she’s doing a pretty good job of it.” 

“God, I see why you and Stiles work so well together, but can you stop being an idiot for just five minutes and hear me out? I drove three hours because Stiles has been lying around our apartment getting progressively more pathetic with every day that passes without you guys making up, and I just want to solve this. I think you can give me five minutes.”

Laura goes to shut the door again, but Derek says, “Wait. She can have five minutes.” 

“You sure?” Laura asks, turning her head toward him. 

“Yeah,” Derek says, crossing his arms and waiting for Lydia to speak. 

“I guess it’s too much to ask to be invited in,” Lydia says. 

“Yep, and you might want to start talking because your five minutes have officially started,” Laura replies. 

Lydia rolls her eyes and turns her attention to Derek. “Stiles was originally writing a paper about online dating. He’s in a sociology class and he got interested in how they work. What makes people use them? Do they actually work? Is it possible to actually figure out if you want to date someone or not based on their answers to a few questions? That sort of thing. He went into it thinking he wouldn’t find anyone he was interested in. He thought he might go on a couple of bad dates, write his paper and delete his profile. He didn’t expect to find you. When he saw your profile he was genuinely interested in you, and after talking to you for a couple of days he decided he had to switch his paper topic to something else, because he did actually like you, and when Stiles is into someone he commits fully. He didn’t want to have to talk to anyone else or go out on any dates. He was just interested in you. So, he switched his paper topic to gender norms and continued to talk to you solely because he wanted to.” 

“Why didn’t he just tell me that, though?” Derek asks. 

“Because you left,” Lydia replies. 

“No, I mean, before. Why did he never mention it?” 

“I guess he never thought about it. Seriously just trust me, he cares about you a lot. All I’ve heard for the past few weeks is, ‘Did you know that Derek blah blah blah,’ and ‘Derek said this,’ and ‘Derek did that.’ and ever since you guys fought he’s just been wallowing nonstop. Can you please just go make up with him?” 

“He still seems like kind of an ass. Maybe he didn’t end up leading me on for his project, but he was originally planning on doing that to other people. Which is still a major dick move.” 

“Okay, listen closely. Stiles can be a total dick. I won’t deny that. But he’s also the most loyal person you could ever meet. He will fight to the death for his friends. He’s smart, and he’s funny, and he’s worth it. And for your information, he wasn’t going to lead anyone on. Even when he was going to do the project, he was going to tell people about it. He was mainly using it as an easy way to meet people who were involved with online dating. But then along came you, and as I’ve said, when Stiles commits, he really commits.” 

“Can you hold on a second?” Laura says, and she shuts the door without giving Lydia a chance to answer. “She’s telling the truth.” Laura says, once the door is shut and she turns to Derek. 

“I know.” 

“So, are you going to go make up with him? You know I’m on your side no matter what, and I will kick her ass out of here so fast if you don’t want to, but I know you like him, and since she is telling the truth making up with him does makes sense.” 

“Yeah, I’m going to. Do you think I should go up there or what? It’s kind of far away, but I feel bad about walking out on him before now.” 

“It’s up to you, but I do think making up with him in person would definitely be a lot more fun than doing it over the phone.” She says, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. 

“Don’t be gross, Laura,” he says, laughing. She joins in before opening the door. 

“We’ve decided we believe you,” Laura says. 

“I’m so glad,” she says, voice laced with sarcasm. “Now, are you going to go put Stiles out of his misery or what?” 

“Yeah,” Derek replies. 

“All right, let me tell you where we live.” 

“Are you not going back?” 

“No, I figure you guys might want to be alone for a while. Plus, I thought it might be fun to hang out with your sister. I thought we could get to know each other a little more...intimately.” Derek glances over at Laura and sees her trying her best not to smile. He smirks at her and she flips him off. He knows she likes Lydia. She’s just trying not to show it because she's pissed Lydia called her out on it when she got there. 

When Lydia finishes giving him directions he grabs his keys and then pulls Laura in for a hug, whispering just loud enough for her to hear, “Be nice.” 

“I’m always nice,” she replies, stepping back and ruffling his hair. He gives her a skeptical look, but doesn’t say anything else, letting Lydia walk past him into the apartment before shutting the door and heading to his car. 

***

A few hours later, he pulls into the parking lot of the apartment complex where Lydia had told him that Stiles and her live and slides into a parking spot. His nerves had been mounting for the entire drive, and he’s terrified now. He isn’t sure Stiles is interested in making up with him. Lydia had said Stiles had been moping, but that could have just been because he had spent so much wasted time talking to Derek.

Derek didn’t drive three hours just to chicken out at the last moment, though. He takes a deep steadying breath, and pushes open the door of his Camaro. He gets out and walks around looking for the right building, and heads up the stairs when he finds it. 

He finds Stiles’ apartment easily, but lingers on the doorstep for a moment, taking breaths and thinking about what he’s going to say. He reaches up and raps on the door, before he can psyche himself out about it too much. 

He hears Stiles yell, “Coming,” and a couple of minutes later the door is being pulled open by a very sleepy-looking Stiles. He’s barefoot and wearing a slouchy shirt and pants that look like he just threw them on. He’s reaching up to a run a hand through his sleep mussed hair, but stops when he realizes who he’s looking at. 

“Derek, what are you doing here?” Stiles’ shirt has risen up from the movement of his arm and there’s a patch of skin visible above his hip and Derek gets lost in it for a moment before he realizes Stiles asked him a question. 

“I should have let you explain, before, at the restaurant.” 

“Well, can I now?” Stiles asks. He opens the door a little wider, but Derek isn’t sure if that’s an invitation in or not so he just hovers in the doorway still. 

“Lydia already did,” Derek says, leaning ever so slightly closer. 

“I knew she was up to something when she left here earlier. Where is she?” 

“Getting to know my sister, apparently,” Derek answers. 

“Oh. Sooo…” Stiles says, drawing the word out. 

“So,” Derek says, and he takes a step forward, leaning in close to Stiles, hovering in his space. He doesn’t move the rest of the way forward and close the gap though, still too afraid that Stiles doesn’t want him anymore. 

“Can I…” Stiles mumbles, and then he shakes his head slightly and seems to steel himself, hands balling into fists at his sides, and for a second Derek thinks he’s going to kick him out, but then he’s pressing himself forward and his lips are on Derek’s and as soon as Derek processes what’s happening he steps forward again so that his body is flush against Stiles’ and places his hands on Stiles’ hips, fingers brushing up under his shirt against the skin of his back. 

Stiles’ sways backwards and Derek twists his hands in his shirt, trying to keep him close. 

“Can you stay for awhile, or do you need to get back?” he asks. 

“I can stay.” 

“Good,” Stiles says, and he grabs for Derek’s hand, pulling him inside the threshold and shutting the door. As he leads them down the hallway, their hands still connected, something shifts inside Derek and he feels better than he has since the last time he saw Stiles. 

Stiles opens the door of his room, and drags Derek inside. 

“Sorry for the mess,” he says. “I’ve been busy.” 

“Don’t worry about it. My room’s a bit of a wreck right now too.” 

Stiles turns back toward him, and darts his tongue out across his lips, wetting them before saying, “Could we try that kissing thing some more?” 

Derek smiles. “I think I’d like that.” 

Stiles slips his fingers behind Derek’s neck, tangling his fingers in Derek’s hair and reeling him in. Stiles sets a frenzied pace, but Derek is in no hurry, and he tries to slow the kiss down. He slides his hands around Stiles’ waist and tugs him closer, his lips slowing down. Stiles’ lips, hard and insistent at first, loosen and slow down against Derek’s. He slides his tongue over Stiles’ lip, first learning, and then memorizing the taste of his skin. 

Stiles pulls back. “Do you want to watch Buffy?” he asks. 

“Is that a euphemism?” Derek asks, leaning forward to steal another kiss. 

“No, especially because it would have been a really bad one. But, no, you just have a lot more episodes to watch still, and I thought it could be fun.” 

“Okay. Yeah.” 

“Yeah.” Stiles pulls away and grabs his laptop off his desk before crawling onto his bed. “Well, come on, big boy, get in here,” he says, grabbing Derek’s hand and pulling him toward the bed. 

Derek crawls up on the bed beside him, sliding his arm behind Stiles’ back, and Stiles brings up Netflix. 

“What episode are you on?” 

“It’s in season four. Let me see the list.” He leans forward so he can see better, and reads over the list of episodes, until he sees the name of the last one he watched. “That one,” he says, pointing to the next one. 

“Oh, awesome Hush is one of my favorites.” He hits play, and settles back against Derek, pressing into his side. 

They watch in silence for a bit, until Buffy starts flirting with her TA at which point Derek says, “Never a good idea to get involved with your TA.”

“And you know this from experience, do you?” Stiles asks.

“Yeah, but not my own. My sister had a fling with hers. It did not end well.” 

Stiles winces in sympathy. “Oh, that sucks. Your sister seems cool. It’s their loss.” 

“You met her for all of five minutes,” Derek points out. 

“Yeah, but I heard she defended your honor well while we were outside. She made my friends feel very ashamed, and not only did they not even do anything wrong, but they typically don’t feel shame when they actually have done something wrong so that’s quite the accomplishment.” 

“She is pretty great,” Derek says with a smile. 

“Yeah, Lydia thinks so too. I was only part of the reason she went by your place tonight, she’s also just been looking for an excuse to see your sister again.” 

“Good, because my sister was pretty into her as well.” 

Stiles smiles at him for a moment before turning back to his computer. “Oh, wait wait wait, shh, Tara is about to get introduced,” he says, flapping his hand around in excitement as a shy looking blonde girl appears on screen, looking up at Willow. 

She doesn’t really say much, just stutters about something, but Derek is pretty sure she’s checking Willow out. 

“Am I reading too much into this or is she kind of flirting with Willow?” 

“She is. God, do not even talk to me about Willow and Tara. They’re so cute I want to puke rainbows. I swear to god.” 

Derek smirks at him, and Stiles rolls his eyes. “Oh, don’t even with that face. I am secure enough in my manliness to call them cute, okay? You aren’t bringing me down.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Derek replies. 

“Good,” Stiles says, turning his head more so he can kiss Derek. 

****

When Derek wakes up the next morning, it takes him a while to realize that he and Stiles must have fallen asleep watching Buffy. His face is pressed into Stiles’ back and his arm is thrown over his side. Before he can move or wake Stiles up there’s a knock on his door followed pretty rapidly by Lydia coming in. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she says, smirking. “I didn’t realize you still had company.” 

Stiles turns over, his face looking soft and sleepy with his eyes scrunched halfway shut. “How was your night? Are you just getting back?” he asks, his voice sleep rough. 

“A lady never kisses and tells,” she says. 

Stiles makes a snorting noise at the same time Derek says, “That’s okay, because Laura does. I’m sure I’m gonna hear all about it when I get home. What time is it?” 

“Ten in the morning,” Lydia replies. 

“Fuck, I have to go. I already missed one class and I have to be in my next class in four hours. Laura is going to kill me. I was supposed to take Hallie to school this morning.” 

“I took her. Laura wasn’t mad. She just said Stiles better at least be treating you right if he’s going to keep you out all night.” 

“Oh, well, thanks,” Derek says. “I do need to get to class though.” 

“That means get out so we can say good bye, Lydia,” Stiles says, sticking an arm up lazily to wave her towards the door. 

Lydia rolls her eyes, but she gives Stiles a fond smile as she leaves. 

“Don’t want you to go,” Stiles says, making grabby hands until he manages to get ahold of Derek’s shirt and drag him closer. 

“I don’t want to leave,” Derek admits, dragging his nose down the line of Stiles’ jaw and pressing his lips to Stiles’ neck briefly. 

“Then don’t.” 

“Classes,” Derek reminds him. 

“You can skip them,” Stiles mumbles, shifting beneath Derek’s lips. 

“I can’t. I’m sure you have classes to get to anyway.” 

“Classes are boring though. Your lips are so much more fun,” Stiles says, pulling Derek into a kiss. 

“Stiles,” Derek groans. “I really have to go. We can skype or something soon, okay?” 

Stiles pouts, sticking his bottom lip out dramatically, but he nods and huffs out, “Fine, but we have to find time to physically see each other again soon.” 

“Definitely,” Derek says, and he dips his head back down to give Stiles one more kiss, slotting their lips together and sliding his hand underneath the bottom of Stiles’ shirt. 

“You kissing me like that is not helping your cause, you know,” Stiles says, with a pleased hum, that turns into a whine as Derek pulls away. 

“I know. I’ll see you soon.” 

“Wait, let me walk you to the door. We can be like dumb sixteen year olds on their first date.” 

Derek grins and gets off the bed, waiting for Stiles to disentangle himself from the blanket and follow him into the hallway. 

When they make it to the front door of Stiles’ apartment, Stiles takes Derek’s hand and pulls him closer into him. “So.” 

“So.” Derek replies, grinning slightly as Stiles hovers centimeters from his lips. Stiles tilts his head and breathes out and Derek can feel the air from it fan out over his cheek. Derek presses forward a little and their lips meet. It’s a slow kiss, one full of promises that this won’t be the last time they get to do this, but it’s over too soon. Derek chases Stiles lips when he pulls away, but Stiles pulls back farther. 

“We have to stop or I’m never going to let you go,” he says, opening the door. Stiles lets go of his hand, but pulls him into a hug and Derek is really grateful for it. It gives him an excuse to bury his head in Stiles’ neck and breathe in some of his scent while leaving some of his own behind. Knowing that Stiles’ will smell like him for a while will let Derek feel closer to him until they can see each other again. He can smell the faint traces of another wolf on him and it makes him linger for just a second longer than he normally would, leaving more of his own scent behind. 

They pull apart after a few moments and Derek leaves with the promise of, “I’ll text you when I get to school.” 

***

When he slides into his seat in class four hours later he pulls out his phone and texts Stiles, “This is probably lame, but I miss you.” 

He gets a response that reads, “It’s because I’m fucking irresistible.” He grins at his phone and the girl sitting next to him gives him a knowing look. His phone buzzes with a second text and when he presses open it reads, “I miss you too, by the way.” 

After class Derek goes home. When he walks through the door he finds Hallie and Liam playing with some of Hallie’s dolls on the floor. They smile at him shyly, but they’re starting to look way more comfortable in the house and Derek is happy that they’re happier but at the same time it worries him, because the more comfortable they get with him and Laura the more it’s going to hurt all of them when they leave for a new house. 

Derek grins back at them though and heads into the kitchen looking for Laura. He finds her in there cooking spaghetti and garlic bread. 

He leans against the doorframe. “Need any help?” 

“Put that in the oven, please,” she responds, pointing at the bread. Derek complies and then lifts himself onto the counter, sitting down on it. 

Laura looks at him while she stirs the spaghetti. “So, how was your night?” 

“It was good. Stiles was nice. We watched some episodes of Buffy and then accidentally fell asleep.” 

“You sound like a teenager afraid he’s going to get in trouble for staying out all night.” 

“That’s what happened.” Derek shrugs. “What about you?” 

“Well, we watched some TV with the kids, and then Lydia helped me put them to bed, and then we had really awesome sex on the chair in the living room.” 

“Gross, now I’ll never be able to sit on it again.” 

Laura laughs as she adds a little salt to the water in the spaghetti pan. Derek shifts a little, trying to work up the courage to ask Laura something. He hasn’t had a real relationship since the one that ended with him losing his family and he isn’t sure he knows how they’re supposed to work, but after hearing Laura’s recap of her night he’s feeling a little weird about his own. 

“Do you think it’s weird that Stiles and I didn’t have sex?” he blurts out, hoping it’ll be less painful the faster he says the words. 

Laura looks at him sharply, “No, not at all. It’s never weird to not have sex. Did he make you feel weird about it, because I will kick hi-” 

“No, Laura, not at all. Just, I don’t know, do you think it means he’s changing his mind about me?” 

“No, I don’t think there’s any nefarious reason. I think it just didn’t happen.” She shrugs, like it’s really that simple, and Derek thinks maybe it is. He pulls out his phone

“What are you doing?” he texts Stiles, hoping that seeing Stiles answer normally will completely reassure him that everything is fine. 

“How about I show you? And full disclosure there will be some nudity involved,” Stiles texts back. 

“Sounds good to me,” Derek texts back. 

It only takes a few moments before Stiles texts again and Derek looks down at his phone, and nearly drops it in surprise. The text contains a picture of Stiles, wearing absolutely nothing. His face isn’t in it, but Derek can see that his head is thrown back from the way his neck is stretched. He follows the line of moles on his neck and isn’t surprised to see he has more on his chest and stomach as well, and when he looks lower than that he has to swallow before he chokes because Stiles has a hand around his dick and Derek is rapidly developing a situation when it comes to Stiles’ fingers. He would really like to know how they feel pressing into his skin or wrapped around his dick. 

“Um, I’ll be right back,” Derek says to Laura. She raises her eyebrows at him, but nods. 

“Okay, dinner will be ready soon.” 

Derek practically runs out of the kitchen, and into his room, shutting the door. 

“You can’t just do that to me, Stiles. I was in the same room as my sister.” 

Stiles sends him a text back and Derek can practically hear the laughter in his response. “In all fairness, I did warn you, and look at the bright side, at least you weren’t with the kids. And I take it you left the room now so how about you send me a picture back.” 

This is so not a good time for this, but Derek has already kind of lost the ability for any thought besides, “Getting naked and jacking off is a really good idea right now.” So he groans at the phone and pulls his shirt over his head, dropping it to the floor and unbuttoning his pants, pulling his dick out. He kicks off his shoes, and lays back on the bed, shimmying a little bit to pull his jeans down without taking them all the way off. His dick is half hard already and he hasn’t even really touched himself, just seeing Stiles like that was enough to get him hard. He takes a picture from his chest down and sends it back to Stiles. 

Stiles responds with, “I would very much like to put my mouth all over your body Your dick especially, but I’m also very fond of your abs, and your thighs definitely deserve some attention as well. I can’t even really see them, but I just know that they’re just as sexy as the rest of you.” 

“I would like that a lot. Your lips are fucking obscene, and your fingers, don’t get me started on your fingers. I want them all over me.” 

“I want them inside of you.” Stiles responds, and Derek groans, hoping that it wasn’t loud enough for Laura or the kids to hear, as he gets a hand around himself and uses the other to send his reply to Stiles. 

“Jesus, Stiles. I want you here. I need to feel myself inside of you, and feel you inside of me.” He pulls at his dick rapidly, feeling the pleasure radiate through his body. 

“Marathon sex. Sounds good to me. I wish I were there. I want to blow you so bad, and I want you to be rough about it. I want you to jerk your hips up and fuck into my face and tug on my hair to slide me further down your dick.” Derek groans as he reads it, and jerks himself faster, arching his neck back as the pleasure builds in his stomach. There’s a bit of precome on the head of his dick already, making his dick slick, and he uses the reduction of friction to move his hand faster. He drags his thumb over his tip and groans, wishing he could bite into Stiles’ neck, and he tells him as much.

“Oh, you’re a biter? We could have some fun with that.” is Stiles’ response, and Derek moans more twisting his wrist, and arching his back up. Derek has a definite kink when it came to biting. 

“Yes, yes, definitely a biter. I want to tug on your hair and bite into your neck, and down your chest, and your abs and thighs.” He really just wants to touch every inch of Stiles body. 

“I like it rough too. I want to turn you over and pound you into the bed.” Derek thrusts his hips up as he slides his hand faster, knowing he’s not going to last much longer. 

“God, Stiles, I’m gonna come.” He sends, tugging quicker, and then slowing down as he hits his climax, sliding his hand lazily as come hits his stomach. 

“God, me too. That was so good. We should do this on skype next time if you’re down with that.” 

He is definitely down with that even though he thinks he will probably end up coming in two seconds flat if he’s watching Stiles get off. He sends back, “I could definitely be persuaded of that,” and gets up to clean himself off as he hears Laura call his name from the other room. 

“Yeah,” he shouts back, his voice sounding more than a little wrecked. 

“Dinner is ready.” He walks into his bathroom to clean off his stomach and pulls his clothes back on before heading back into the kitchen. Laura is eyeing him as if she knows exactly what just happened and Derek’s face heats with a blush. 

After he slides into his seat he pulls out his phone and texts Stiles. “I’m pretty sure Laura knows exactly what just happened. I hope you’re happy asshole.” 

“I’m feeling pretty pleased actually.” There’s a picture attached of Stiles with his hair a mess, and his cheeks flushed, with a totally blissed out smile. Derek’s stomach flips at the sight, and he wishes he could kiss the smile right off of Stiles‘ face. 

“You’re evil. Absolutely evil.” 

*** 

When Derek comes downstairs the next day, he finds Laura sitting at the kitchen table sipping out of a mug of coffee. He pours a mug for himself and slides into a seat across from her. She sits there in silence for a moment, looking like she’s mulling something over, but then she says, “You remember that wolf rehabilitation clinic we used to go volunteer at a lot with mom?” 

“Yeah,” Derek says, slightly taken aback. He and Laura don’t talk very often about how things were before. 

“How would you feel about going there with the kids? You have a free day today, right? I thought we could get them out of this town for awhile.” 

“I’d like that, I think. We haven’t been since… I miss… seeing the wolves,” he says, tripping over the words a little as emotion wells up inside him. 

“Great,” she says. “I called them this morning and they said they’d love to have us, but I told them I wasn’t 100% sure we were going to come, that I’d have to talk to you, but that we’d probably be there.” She cocks her head a little like she’s listening to something far away and when Derek focuses he can hear the soft thud of the kids’ feet hitting the floor down the hall. Then, quick footsteps can be heard coming down the hallway and the kids burst into the kitchen. Liam crawls right up into Derek’s lap and Hallie only hesitates for a second before she climbs up into Laura’s lap, burying her head in her neck. 

“How would you guys feel about going on a road trip? We wanna take you somewhere our mom and dad used to take us when we were your guys’ age.” Laura asks. 

Liam bounces up and down in Derek’s lap in excitement, chanting, “Yay, yay, yay,” over and over again. 

Hallie’s reaction is more reserved, but she looks pretty excited as well. She nods, and grins, her face still buried in Laura’s neck. 

“All right, let’s go get ready then.” 

They spend the next couple of hours getting the kids ready to go and packing some road trip necessities and then they’re piling in the car and headed down the road. Derek takes out his phone and sends Stiles a message that says, “We’re taking Hallie and Liam on a road trip. We’re going to this wolf rehabilitation center our parents used to take us to.” 

Stiles replies with, “That sounds really cool. I’m kind of jealous.” 

Derek smiles at his phone and turns over the idea of asking Stiles if he wants to meet them there. One of the reasons he’s excited to be going with Hallie and Liam is because he wants to show them wolves aren’t something that need to be feared. Taking people to the wolf center is a way of revealing a part of himself even if the people don’t fully understand how much they’re being shown, and he thinks he’d really like for Stiles to go. It’d be nice to know how Stiles reacts to the wolves. It’s still nowhere near an accurate measure to how Stiles would feel about werewolves, but it’s a start. 

“Hey, Laura, how would you feel about Stiles meeting us there? It’s not that far from where he lives and I’d like him to see the wolves.” 

Laura doesn’t respond right away. She smiles, and looks a little surprised, but doesn’t speak. After a few moments though, she says, “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.” 

“Do you want me to ask him if Lydia can come too?” 

“Uh, I don’t know that’s what I was thinking about. I think, no, though. I mean, I really like her, and I would like to see her again, but I really just want to bond with the kids today, you know? Just totally focus on them. I like the idea of you bringing Stiles though, because I like that you’re opening up to him some, and I think this will help.” 

Derek nods. “Okay, yeah.” Then types up a message to Stiles. “If you’re not doing anything today, you should meet us there. It’s called Wolf Pack Rescue Center and it’s only about an hour from you.” 

“Dude! Yes! Awesome! What time should I get there?” 

“It’s about three hours from where I live so we should be there around one. Just meet us there then, I guess.” 

***

When they get there Stiles is lounging up against his car. Derek steps out of the car and goes to talk to him while Laura unloads the kids. “Sorry, we had to stop a few more times than we expected.” 

“It’s fine. I just got here like five minutes ago, anyway.” 

“Oh, good,” Derek says, and Stiles smiles at him and leans forward a little like he wants to kiss Derek but isn’t sure he’s allowed to in front of the kids. Derek presses forward and closes the gap though, kissing Stiles gently. He can smell the other wolf on Stiles’ skin again and he brings a hand up, placing it against Stiles’ neck in the guise of pulling him closer, but really he just wants to leave some of his own scent behind. He pulls back after a few moments and Laura comes up beside him with the kids in tow, shoving Derek playfully. “You and lover boy come on. Let’s go see some wolves.” 

Derek backs away from Stiles reluctantly and scoops Hallie up into his arms, raising her high up into the air and setting her down on his shoulders all in one swift movement. She lets out a delighted squeal and wraps her little arms around his head. Laura has Liam tucked against her hip and they all set off for the main office of the center. 

They walk through the doors and the older woman behind the desk coos in excitement. “Laura and Derek Hale is that you guys?” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Laura says, hoisting Liam up higher on her hip. 

“It has to have been at least ten years since I last saw you guys. God, you’ve grown up so much. Do you even remember me?” 

“Of course,” Laura says. “When I was little I wanted to be you. I thought you had the coolest job ever, Mrs. James.” 

“I’ve told you a million times you can call me Annie,” she says, coming out from behind the desk. “Are these your children, Laura?”

“They’re just staying with us for a while,” Laura says. “This is Hallie,” she says, pointing up at Hallie where she’s still situated on Derek’s shoulders, “and this is Liam.” 

“Hey guys,” Annie says. “I’ve known Laura and Derek here since they were only about an inch tall. Can you imagine that?” 

Hallie and Liam both shake their heads and Annie turns her attention to Stiles. “And who is this?” 

“This is Stiles,” Derek says. “He’s my, well, uh, we’re dating.” 

“Oh, well hello there,” Annie says, beaming at Stiles. 

“Hi. I bet Derek was cute when he was an inch tall, huh,” Stiles says, returning her grin. 

“The very cutest.” She smiles, and looks at them all. “Well, who’s ready to see some wolves?” 

The kids cheer in excitement and they all head outside toward the enclosure. 

“Okay, so a lot of these wolves are here because people think they’re like dogs. People think it’ll be cool to have a wolf as a pet and that they’ll be able to handle it because they’re a part of the dog family. But wolves are a lot of work, and they’re not really like the kind of dogs people keep as pets. They’re wild animals at heart and wild animals are hard to control, you have to know what you’re doing in order to be able to take care of wolves.” Annie says, as they walk closer to the enclosure. Hallie and Liam nod, and Stiles actually looks really interested as well. It’s all stuff Derek and Laura have heard a billion times though. 

“Also, a lot of people are afraid of wolves, but you don’t really need to be. Especially not here. Our wolves won’t hurt people. And in the wild, it’s very unlikely that a wolf would attack you. They’re actually pretty afraid of humans, and for good reason. Humans have hunted them so much that wolves are in serious danger of going extinct. Do you guys know what that means?” 

Liam shakes his head, but Hallie timidly says, “It means, they don’t exist anymore.” 

“Right,” Annie says. “So, places like this are really important, because we help wolves that have been hurt in the wild or that people tried to raise themselves but then gave up and released them out into the wild without the wolves knowing how to hunt or take care of themselves.” 

Everyone nods in understanding, and Annie says, “All right, hold on.” She goes into the enclosure and approaches one of the wolves, hooking him up to a harness she had brought with her and walking them back outside of the enclosure. 

“We don’t usually let people interact with the adult wolves, but since Laura and Derek have been coming here since they were practically babies I can make an exception for you guys. This is Echo. He’s about six years old, and when we found him he had a really bad leg injury. We’ve been helping him get better though, and he’s almost ready to go back out into the wild. Be calm, and be gentle, but you guys can pet him.” 

Derek lifts Hallie off his shoulders, and places her on the ground so she can reach the wolf. She hides behind Derek’s leg, but sticks her hand out to pat at the wolves’ side. 

Stiles reaches forward and lets Echo sniff at his hand and then he scratches behind his ear. “He’s really cute, and he seems so gentle.” 

“Yeah, our wolves are pretty good with people. Wolves are predators, but they don’t just kill for the heck of it, and they aren’t really interested in people. So, we usually don’t have anything to fear from them.”

Laura is holding Liam out so he can pat Echo’s head and he’s cooing at the wolf. Derek pets down Echo’s back and the wolf looks like he’s enjoying the attention. 

“All right, guys, it’s almost time for Echo to eat, but how would you guys like to go see some little wolf pups?” 

“Yeah!” Hallie and Liam cheer and even Stiles looks pretty excited by the prospect. 

“All right, let’s go.” 

Annie leads them back toward the office and into a back room, where there is a pile of wolf pups in a cage with blankets. 

“All right, we found these abandoned in the woods. We aren’t really sure what happened because usually wolf packs are really protective of their young. But they were all alone and very hungry. So, we brought them back here and we’ve been nursing them back to health. Would you guys like to hold one?”

“Can we?” Hallie says, while Liam hops up and down in excitement. 

“Yeah, sit down on the ground and I’ll give you a pup to hold.” 

Hallie and Liam both plop down on the ground as quick as they can and Annie pulls two pups out of the pile of squirming bodies. She places one in each of the kids laps and Derek hovers over Liam’s lap making sure he doesn’t accidentally let the pup go or get hurt somehow while Laura does the same with Hallie. 

“What about you, Stiles? Do you want to hold one?” 

“Yeah,” Stiles says, looking down at the pile of remaining pups. 

“You can pick one out, just be careful with it,” Annie says. 

Stiles looks around, before picking up the smallest one, and nuzzling it against his face. 

“You are just a big old fluff ball, aren’t you?” Derek can hear him mumble to the pup, before he holds him close to his chest and pets him. 

Annie comes closer to the kids to talk to them about the wolf pups and Derek stands up and approaches Stiles, petting the pup he’s holding between the ears. 

“So, what do you think about this place?” Derek asks. 

“It’s super cool. I can definitely see why you guys like it here so much. I think Scott would really like to come to a place like this sometime. He’s got a, um, kind of connection with wolves.” Stiles smiles like he’s enjoying a private joke and Derek grows more suspicious that Scott is indeed a werewolf. If it were just someone close to Scott, Stiles probably wouldn’t know, but as his best friend, he might be aware of it if it actually is Scott. 

“Well, maybe me, you, and him, could come sometime. Maybe have Lydia and Laura tag along too, and your other friends I’d like to get to know them all better. They seemed fun during the short amount of time I met them before.” 

“Yeah, that’d be cool.” Stiles says. He nuzzles the wolf pup again, and Derek just watches, warmth pooling in his chest. 

***

When they get home from the rehabilitation center Laura goes to give the kids a bath and settle them down in their room and Derek collapses on the couch. He turns on the TV and pulls Netflix up on their bluray player turning on the next episode of Buffy and pulling out his phone to text Stiles. 

“Fuck, who knew a day at a wolf center could be so exhausting? And why is Buffy being given a shot in what looks like a mental hospital.” 

He settles deeper into the couch and after a moment his phone buzzes with a new text from Stiles. “You sound like a grandpa. “These kids these days, so exhausting with their running and their newfangled technology.” But, oh, that is one of my favorite episodes!” 

“Are you not exhausted?” He sends, and then follows it up quickly with, “No, why is Tara kissing some one who isn’t Willow on the cheek?” 

“I am totally fine. I am in my prime, you’re the grandpa here. We should take them to the park or something next time I come see you. I can run around with them while you lounge around. And because Joss Whedon hates happiness.” 

“You’re only three years younger than me, Stiles, but I think they’d like that. Also, ‘You’re in a mental institution. You’ve been here for six years.’ What the actual fuck? If this whole show has been a figment of Buffy’s imagination I don’t know what I’m going to do, but it’s going to be violent.” 

And then he follows that text up with, “Wait, her mom is alive in this version of reality? Now I almost wouldn’t mind if this is real.” 

Stiles sends back, “Ah, remember the days when you were insisting this show wouldn’t affect you at all. Seems as though someone was very, very wrong.” 

Derek smiles and sends back, “Yeah, yeah, you were right. I shouldn’t have doubted you, blah blah blah.” 

“I’m glad you’re admitting it. Also, this is slightly random, but I noticed your hesitation to use the boyfriend word today, but I am fully committed to this thing. So, I’m cool with that label, if you are.” 

Derek grins and sends back, “I’d like that. And god, all of this makes so much sense. This episode is fucking me up so badly. ‘What if I’m still there? What if I never left that clinic?’ What the fuck? I am seriously convinced she could be in that mental hospital.” 

There’s a noise in the hallway and Laura comes in the living room.

“Derek, I need to talk to you about something,” she says, sitting down next to him on the couch and propping her feet up in his lap. Usually he would shove them off, but she looks really stressed and worried so Derek just shifts so he’s more comfortable and lays a hand on her leg, trying to comfort her. 

“Yeah, what’s up?” 

“Do you think I would be a good mom?” she asks, she’s smiling and trying to play it off like the answer doesn’t matter that much to her, but Derek can hear the stutter of fear in her heartbeat. He presses pause on Buffy and turns toward her. 

“Laura, I know that you can be an amazing mom. You raised me after the fire, and you did a great job,” Derek says, swallowing past the lump in his throat, when he realizes what this is leading to. The kids might be becoming a permanent part of his family, and the thought of them sticking around forever makes his heart feel like it’s literally swelling in his chest. 

“I made so many mistakes, though. I wasn’t around as much as I should have been, and I got in all those fights and put you in danger. What if they had taken you away from me and you had ended up in the foster system?” 

“You were young, and hurt, and angry, and you still did a damn good job. You taught me so much, Laura. Anyone would be lucky to call you their mom. Besides your older and wiser now. You were too young to have that much responsibility thrust on you back then, losing your pack and becoming Alpha and the guardian to a sixteen year old teenage werewolf all at once would be a lot for anyone to handle. You’ll do great, Laura. If you’re thinking about adopting them I think you should.” 

“Am I the best thing for them, though? Don’t Hallie and Liam deserve more than me? Should we send them somewhere else?” 

“Laura, if you really think sending them away is the best thing for them, I will support you. I think you’re wrong though. I know you love them, and they’d be safe here, and you wouldn’t have to do this alone. I’d help you out. You know that, right? I’d babysit and help you with as much as I could.” 

“I know, little brother,” Laura says, reaching over to ruffle his hair. “You’re great with them. You’re gonna make a good dad someday, and after seeing him with them today, I think Stiles will too.” 

Derek can’t help the smile that tugs at his lips at the thought of that. The thought of Stiles and Derek and family is way more appealing than it should be at this point in their relationship. 

“Shut up,” he says, but he’s smiling, and Laura just looks at him fondly. 

They fall into silence for awhile and Derek pushes play again, both of them watching Buffy and thinking about everything they had discussed and everything they had lost in the past. Before too long Laura says, “I’m gonna go check on the kids,” swinging her legs off of Derek’s lap, and pushing off the couch. 

“I’ll come with you,” he replies, hitting pause again and getting up to follow her down the hallway. 

When they’re outside the door, Laura stops and quirks an eyebrow. “That’s weird I can’t hear anything inside,” she says, pushing open the door. 

When the door swings open and Derek takes in the empty room and the open window everything seems to slow down for a minute. He scans the room again for any sign of them. When he doesn’t see them he listens closely for their heartbeats in a different room of the house, and when the only other heartbeat he can hear is Laura’s his mind goes into overdrive, and before he can even speak Derek is shifting. Laura is already half shifted too and she says, “One of us should stay here, in case they come back.” 

“You stay,” Derek says. “You’re the one with custody. You need to call 911 and be here when the cops arrive. I’ll look for them.” 

Laura rocks on her feet for a second and Derek thinks she’s going to protest, but she doesn’t. “Yeah, go, just hurry, Derek.” 

Derek crawls through the window and takes off after their scent. He isn’t picking up on the scent of a third person, so it’s more likely that they’ve run away than been kidnapped, but that isn’t that much safer. They’re two tiny kids all alone and probably in the middle of the woods. Derek is following their scent closer and closer to the tree line, and there are wild animals and hunters out there, and they can be attacked, or kidnapped, or shot so easily. 

Terror is coursing through Derek’s body and his limbs are trembling as he runs. He’s moving faster than he ever has before, pushed forward by fear and a need to protect. The kids feel like family, like pack, to him and he doesn’t want to lose them, not ever, and especially not like this. 

He crashes through the forest, tree branches scraping at his sides and arms as he runs. The earthy scent of the ground is a little overpowering, but he can still smell the kids and he focuses in on their scent, closing in on them. He’s surprised at how far into the forest he’s run and he worries about how long the kids must have been out here for. They must be freezing and Derek wishes he had brought blankets to wrap them in when he finds him. 

When he knows he’s close he forces himself to shift back, claws and fangs retracting, but he stays on alert. He doesn’t want to scare the kids, but he wants to be ready to shift back if there’s danger. He barrels into a clearing in the woods and sees the kids huddled together on a blanket with their backpacks at their feet. They’re shivering, and covered in mud, and Derek is so relieved to see them that it feels like all of the air rushes out of his lungs in a huff. 

“Thank God,” he says. “You guys scared us.” He runs toward them and picks them both up in a giant hug. 

When he sets them both back down he says, “I have to call Laura. You two, don’t move.” They look up at him sheepishly, and he pulls his phone out of his pocket. He hits her name in his contact list and she answers halfway through the first ring. 

“I have them,” Derek says, before she even gets out half of her greeting. “They’re fine, just a little cold and dirty. We’re coming home.” 

“Thank God,” Laura says. “Hurry back, I need to see them before I’m convinced.” 

“Will do,” Derek says, hanging up the phone. He turns his attention back to the kids, “All right, guys, we’re going home. Get your backpacks.” 

The kids don’t say a word, just stand up with pouts on their faces and put their backpacks on. When they have them situated Derek picks up the blanket and then hoists both the kids up into his arm. He runs back out of the forest and into their building and Laura meets them at the door of their apartment, with some cops in tow.

The cops look relieved that the kids have indeed been found and after Derek hands them over to Laura, the cops just ask a few quick questions to make sure the kids weren’t harmed and that no one else was involved before they leave. 

“Let’s get you guys clean,” Laura says to the kids, after she shuts the door behind the cops. “And then we’re going to have a serious talk.”

Derek follows Laura to the bathroom not wanting to let the kids out of his sight. She sets them down on the floor and turns on the bath faucet, filling the tub up with warm water. Derek helps Liam get undressed while Hallie pulls off her own clothes. 

Once the tub is full enough Laura plops them both in the bath and helps them start scrubbing all of the mud off their bodies. Derek slides down the wall and sits on the floor pulling his phone out of his pocket to text Stiles. 

“Well, I just experienced something that will forever be known as one of the most terrifying moments of my life.” 

“What happened? I didn’t think Derek Hale was capable of fear.” Stiles texts back. 

“I am when it comes to people I care about getting hurt. Hallie and Liam ran away, and we found them pretty quickly, but it was a really rough hour.” 

His phone rings less than a minute later, and when he looks at the display it’s Stiles. “Hello,” he answers. 

“They’re okay, right?” Stiles practically yells. 

“Yeah, they’re fine. I’m watching Laura give them a bath.” 

“Good. How is that not _the_ most terrifying moment of your life?” Stiles asks. 

“What? Oh, I don’t really want to talk about it today. It’s nothing personal, I just…” Derek trails off there. 

“Dude, it’s fine. I’m not gonna take it personally that you don’t want to talk about something after the day you just had. You never even have to tell me. It has to be something really bad to even come close to this and I understand the desire to shove it deep down inside of you, but if you ever do want to talk just know I’ll listen.” 

“I appreciate that, and I’m going to tell you, eventually. Just not today.” 

“I’m here when you’re ready. Now, go give the kids a big hug from me.” 

“I will. Goodbye, Stiles.” 

“Bye,” Stiles responds, and Derek pulls the phone away from his ear and ends the call. Laura’s looking at him when he turns back toward her and the kids. 

“You really like him, don’t you?” she asks. 

Derek just looks at her, not really sure what to say to that. 

“Don’t even bother lying. I’d hear it in your heartbeat, and I know you, and I know that if you’re going to willingly tell someone about Kate, and the fire, that you really, really like them.”

“Didn’t anybody ever tell you it’s rude to listen in on other’s peoples phone calls?” Derek asks. 

“Didn’t anybody ever tell you that you should leave the room if you want to have a private conversation.” 

Derek doesn’t dignify that with an answer and Laura doesn’t push it just says, “Help me gets these guys dried off.” 

Once they get the kids dried off and into clean clothes, they carry them down to the kitchen and set them on the couch. 

Laura bites down on her lip, evidently trying to figure out the best way to go about doing this, and Derek doesn’t want to overstep, but he wants to make this easier on her so he starts talking, “You know guys, I ran away one time, too.” 

The kids turn their head in unison, staring at him with wide eyed wonder, “You did?” Liam asks, his voice barely a whisper, and a little raspy with exhaustion. 

“I did. Something really bad happened to me and Laura when we were younger, and I thought it was my fault, and that it would be easier for Laura if she didn’t have to deal with me anymore.” He can feel Laura watching him out of the corner of his eye, and he knows that she’s trying to figure out if he still thinks that’s true. “So, I packed up my things and I ran away. Laura found me later that same night, and she hugged me tight and told me that everything would be so much worse without me. I didn’t believe her then, but I do now. I’ve learned since then that even when our family messes up, we still love them, and that nothing can change that, and that nobody is better at listening or getting you through a hard time than family is, and Laura and I think of you guys as our family.” 

Hallie looks at him, her little knees tucked up against her chest, and says, “Then why were you guys talking about getting rid of us?” 

Derek staggers at that, and turns to Laura who gets down on her knees in front of the couch to talk to Hallie. “We don’t want to get rid of you guys. We were talking about whether or not I should apply to adopt you. So, that this could become your permanent home, for real, but I love you guys so much and I want what’s best for you, and I didn’t know if that was me. I’m just trying to keep you safe and cared for and I wasn’t sure if I was the best person for that job, but I’m pretty sure now. So, if you guys still want to stay I’m going to put in a request for adoption, and if it gets approved it will mean you guys will be able to stay here forever.” 

Hallie looks at Liam, who nods his head, before turning back to Laura. 

“We want to stay,” she says and Derek can smell the tears in Laura’s eyes, even with her back to him, and she pulls the kids into a hug and Derek smiles at them all before pulling out his phone to text Stiles. 

“Well, it looks like I’m gonna be an uncle.”

“Laura’s adopting them? You’ll be the best uncle. All broody and protective when they start dating and shit.” 

“Do not even mention dating. Neither of them are dating until they’re 35, at least.”

***

That night when he has the nightmare it’s different in the worst imaginable way. It starts the same with flames licking at the walls of his childhood home, and hands scrabbling to get out of barred up windows, and Kate laughing outside, but then it flashes and rearranges and the fire is burning up the apartment he lives in now with Laura, Liam, and Hallie. He’s trying to rescue them but he’s too late and he can’t get the door open and he can’t save them, and when the apartment tumbles down around him he awakes with a jolt in his bed. 

He knows it was just a dream, but he can’t go back to sleep until he gets out of bed and walks down the hall to check on Hallie and Liam in the guest room. He stands in the doorway and watches the rise and fall of their chest, and listens to their heartbeats, making sure they’re steady, before creeping out of their room and back into his own. 

He lays back down and forces himself to take even breaths until he’s able to fall back asleep. 

***

When he gets back from school the next day he grabs his laptop and lays down on his stomach on the bed. He turns the next episode of Buffy and spreads out some of his homework in front of him. 

The episode opens with Tara and Willow curled up in bed together and he texts Stiles, “I’m really glad Willow and Tara got back together.” 

“What episode are you on?” is the response he gets back after a few minutes.

Derek checks and sends back, “Seeing Red.” 

“Oh,” is the only response he gets and he’s not sure what to take from that. 

“Oh?” 

“Just keep watching,” Stiles replies. Derek cocks an eyebrow but goes back to watching the show, skimming through a book he’s supposed to be reading for history at the same time. 

After a while with nothing especially good or bad happening he sends back, “What’s gonna happen?” 

“I can’t tell you that. Just keep watching. You’ll know when you get there.” Derek goes back to his book, until a particularly intense moment of the show catches his interest. Spike has confronted Buffy in the bathroom and is trying to force himself on her. 

“This scene with Buffy and Spike is fucked up. Was that it?” Derek sends.

“No, that was super super messed up, but that’s actually not what I was talking about.” 

Derek takes down some notes from the book for a while until the show catches his interest again by Warren showing up in Buffy’s yard. “Oh okay, I think I’m there. There is gunfire. I can’t even tell if Xander got shot or not? Oh, wait. Wait. No. What just happened? Xander seems to be doing okay, but Tara? Not so much.” 

Before he even gets a response he sends, “Stiles, please don’t tell me Tara is dead.” and then “Fuck, Buffy too? Are you serious?” 

The next episode starts and he still hasn’t got a response from Stiles. “I’m assuming Buffy is going to be fine, but Tara is dead isn’t she?” 

And then a few moments later, “YEP, SHE’S DEAD. I HATE YOU FOR MAKING ME WATCH THIS SHOW. WHAT THE FUCK YOU DIDN’T EVEN GIVE ME ANY WARNING. YOU JUST WENT ON AND ON ABOUT HOW CUTE WILLOW AND TARA WERE. HOW COULD YOU DO THAT WHEN YOU KNEW WHAT WAS COMING? JOSS WHEDON IS A SADISTIC LITTLE BASTARD, AND SO ARE YOU.” 

“hahaha love you too, boo. I knew you had a heart, tough guy. My offer of ice cream and a shoulder to cry on still stands if you want me to come over.” 

Despite the fact he still feels like he’s just been emotionally traumatized by a TV show, he can’t help but grin at the words “love you too.” He knows it doesn’t really count, that it’s sarcastic, but he can’t help but hope that Stiles still at least kind of means it.

“You live three hours away are you really going to come over to bring me ice cream? Especially since we just saw each other yesterday.” 

“Why not? It’s the weekend, and I don’t have anything else to do, and even if I did I’d rather come see you then do it anyway. So, what do you say, can I come?” 

“Definitely.” 

“Awesome. Do you want anything besides ice cream?” 

“You should see if Lydia can come too. I know Laura would like to see her again. We could watch some movies.” 

“Okay, awesome. I’ll bring some comedies. You deserve them after the trauma you have been put through with Buffy today. I’ll see you in a few hours.” 

***

A few hours later, Derek is playing with Hallie and Liam in the living room when the doorbell rings. “I’ll get it,” he calls out to Laura, standing up and heading for the door. He pulls it open and sees Stiles and Lydia standing there. 

“Hey guys,” he says. “Come on in.” He opens the door wider and lets them come in before shutting it behind them. He takes the ice cream and movies Stiles is holding from him and leads them to the living room before saying, “You guys can sit down if you want,” motioning to the couch. He leaves the room for a second to put the ice cream in the freezer and when he comes back he crouches down in front of Liam and Hallie.

“Are you guys ready for bed?” he asks.

“No,” they both say in unison, shaking their heads. 

“Well, it’s getting pretty late. I think it’s time. Come on, I’ll read you guys a story.” 

“Okay,” Hallie says, puffing up her cheeks and then huffing out the breath, “but can I have a piggy back ride?”

“Yeah,” Derek says, helping her climb up on his back. 

“I want one too!” Liam says. 

“I’ll come back for you in a second,” Derek says. 

Stiles speaks up then, “I can give you one if you want, buddy.” 

Derek looks at him in surprise. “Are you sure?” he asks at the same time Liam cheers. 

“Yeah, it’ll be fun,” Stiles says, standing up and helping Liam climb up onto his back. Derek grins at them both before heading to the kids room. 

“Laura should be in here any second now, by the way,” he adds to Lydia on his way out of the living room. 

Derek walks down the hall and goes into Hallie and Liam’s room, crouching down and letting Hallie crawl off of him and onto her bed. 

“All right, pajama time,” Derek says, grabbing some pajamas out of Hallie’s dresser drawer and tossing them to her. 

He grabs some out for Liam as well, and moves to help him put them on. Once he gets him changed he pulls the blanket up and has Liam crawl under them before tucking him in. He tucks Hallie in too and then grabs The Lorax off the bedside table. 

“Can I read it to them?” Stiles asks. 

“Oh, sure,” Derek says, passing the book over to him. 

Stiles takes it and sits on the the end of Hallie’s bed with his legs crossed up underneath him and starts to read. He has a very pleasant reading voice and even does a different voice for each character, adopting a gruff, raspy voice for the Once-ler and a high pitch squeak for the Lorax, and when he finishes reading the kids cheer and beg for another story. 

Stiles looks over at Derek for help. 

“You need to go to sleep now, guys. But maybe if you’re good and go on to bed Stiles will come back and read you another story sometime.” 

“Yeah, definitely,” Stiles says, nodding his head. 

“Okay,” Liam says. He looks disappointed, but he goes ahead and rolls over, getting more comfortable in bed and closing his eyes. 

Derek gives them both a hug, and leaves the room with Stiles right behind him. He flips off the light and shuts the door most of the way, leaving it open a touch so that some light can filter in from the hallway. 

He takes Stiles by the hand, and leads him down the hallway a little before crowding him up against the wall. 

“Hey,” he says. 

“Hey,” Stiles replies, mouth turning up into a grin. 

“You were really good with them,” Derek says, putting his hands on Stiles’ waist and letting his thumb brush up underneath his shirt, dragging across the skin of his stomach and back, and leaning his head in a little. 

“Oh yeah? Did it get you all hot and bothered? Do you have a thing for guys that are good with kids?” Stiles asks, his smile turning into a smirk as he fists his hands into Derek’s shirt and tugs him closer. 

“Maybe,” Derek responds, grinning as he ducks his head down and connects their lips. It’s a soft and slow kiss until Derek bites at Stiles’ bottom lip, pulling it between his teeth and worrying at it before sliding his tongue across it, dragging a soft surprised sound out of Stiles. 

He pulls back slightly and trails kisses down Stiles’ neck. He can smell the other wolf on Stiles again, but he can also still smell his own scent lingering from yesterday and it makes him grin, before biting down on the skin where Stiles’ neck meets his shoulder, and sucking a bruise to the surface. Stiles hisses slightly and tangles his hands into Derek’s hair, dragging his fingers through it, until the sound of the doorbell makes them pull away from each other.” 

“That’s probably the pizza Laura ordered. We should get back in there.” 

“One more kiss?” Stiles asks, grabbing at Derek’s shirt.

Derek turns back and presses another kiss against his lips, and he can feel Stiles smile into it before he pulls away and heads back into the living room. 

“It’s about time you guys got back in here,” Laura says. “Did the kids go to bed okay?” she asks. 

“Yeah, they looked like they were going to go right on to bed,” Derek says. “Does anyone want anything to drink?” 

“Grab me a coke,” Laura says. 

“All right, how about you, Lydia?” 

“Can I just get some water?” 

“Tap or bottle?” 

“Bottled. 

“All right. Stiles?” 

“I’ll just come with you,” Stiles says. 

Derek nods and they head for the kitchen together. Once they’re through the doors Stiles grabs Derek’s shirt and pulls him toward him again. “I really just wanted an excuse to be alone with you again,” he says. “We don’t get to see each other nearly enough. I’ve missed you.” 

“We saw each other yesterday, but, I missed you too,” Derek says, pushing Stiles against the counter and kissing him breathless, licking into his mouth and nipping at his lips. He runs his hands down Stiles’ sides and hooks underneath Stiles’ legs picking him up and setting him on the counter. 

“Holy shit. I probably shouldn’t find the fact that you just like, manhandled me as hot as I do,” Stiles says. “What else can you do with all that strength?” 

“I don’t know, but I’m sure we can find out someday,” Derek promises, stepping in between Stiles’ legs and kissing him again. He tangles his fingers in Stiles’ hair, and pulls so that their lips connect again and Stiles hooks his legs around Derek’s hips tugging him in as close as he can. 

“Would you guys quit making out, and bring us our drinks?” Laura shouts. 

Stiles pulls away laughing. “Busted,” he mumbles. Derek brushes their lips together one more time before turning away and opening the refrigerator. 

“I’ll get mine and Laura’s drinks. You can get Lydia’s water and whatever you want.” They grab the drinks and head back into the living room. Laura and Lydia are sitting together in the same armchair, Lydia half in Laura’s lap and half on the chair, and their legs tangled together, sharing a slice of pizza. Derek hands Laura her drink and sits down on the couch and opens his soda, reaching over to grab a slice of pizza from the table. 

“So, what are we watching?” he asks. 

“The Avengers,” Stiles replies, holding the case up. 

“Fuck yes!” Laura says, pumping her fist in the air. 

Derek laughs. “You’ll have to excuse Laura. She has a bit of a thing for Black Widow.” 

“Oh really?” Lydia asks, turning toward her more and arching an eyebrow. 

“I might have a bit of a thing for really bad ass women, and you know, red hair,” Laura replies, grinning as she leans forward to kiss Lydia on the cheek.  
Derek and Stiles share a grin, glad that Laura and Lydia are getting along so well and settle deeper into the couch to watch the movie. 

***

When Derek wakes up the next morning he’s still sitting on the couch, his legs are asleep, and his neck hurts from where his head fell back in his sleep and Stiles’ cheek is pressed against his thigh from where he had laid out across the couch, head in Derek’s lap the night before. 

He turns his head, rolling out the last of the pain in his neck, and looks to see Laura and Lydia still tangled up together in the armchair. Lydia’s head resting on Laura’s chest, and her arm wrapped around Laura’s waist. 

Before he can decide if he’s going to wake everyone up or not, he hears the thud of children’s feet running through the hallways and he knows they’re about to be joined by Hallie and Liam. He shakes Stiles’ shoulder gently, and Stiles sleepily rubs his head against Derek’s thigh, precariously close to Derek’s dick. Derek shifts and shakes him again and Stiles opens his eyes, slowly, and blinks up at Derek. 

“Hey.” His voice is soft and sleep-rough.

“Hey,” Derek says back. “I heard the kids running around so I figured they’d be in here soon and I should just go ahead and wake everyone up.” 

“Oh, yeah, yeah,” Stiles says, and he pushes up and stretches out, his shirt rising up just enough for Derek to see he has moles on his hipbone. “But first,” he says, and then he leans over and kisses Derek softly, sliding his hands into his hair. 

Someone clears their throat loudly behind them and Derek breaks apart and turns to look at Laura and Lydia sheepishly, both of whom roll their eyes at them, at the same time Hallie and Liam finally come thudding into the room, and Lydia discreetly slides off of Laura’s lap so that they’re sitting side by side instead. 

“Good morning guys,” Laura says. “How do you guys feel about biscuits and gravy and bacon this morning?”

“Yeah!” They chant in unison before Liam flops on the floor and starts playing with his toy cars. 

Hallie moves closer to Laura and looks up at her shyly, and Laura asks, “Are you okay, Hallie?” 

She nods, but she looks a little scared. Derek can hear her heart beating a little faster than usual, but he’s pretty sure she’s just a little nervous of all the people in the room. She hadn’t really gotten to know Lydia or Stiles much yet. 

“Do you wanna help me with breakfast?” Laura asks, and Derek can see her hesitate for a moment, but then she nods. 

“Do you guys wanna stay for it?” She asks, looking between Stiles and Laura. “You’re more than welcome to.” 

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Lydia says, and Stiles nods his head. 

Lydia follows Laura into the kitchen to help her and Hallie get breakfast ready, and Stiles and Derek get down on the floor to play with Liam for awhile. 

***

When they sit down at the table, they spend the first few minutes in silence, just passing around the food and making sure everyone gets what they want. Once they’re situated, though, Laura says, “So, Hallie, how is school going?” 

“It’s okay.” Hallie says, shrugging her little shoulders, before falling silent. 

Laura nods and turns her attention to Liam, “And Liam, how is daycare?” 

“It’s fun. Ms. Benson taught us this really cool game the other day.” 

Laura nods, and glances over at Hallie who is struggling to try and cut up her biscuits with her butter knife.

“Do you want some help?” she asks. 

“Yes, please,” Hallie nods. She hands over her plate, but when she pulls back her arm, her elbow collides with her milk cup and Derek watches helplessly as it clatters across the table and lands in Stiles’ lap, spilling milk all over his shirt and pants as it falls. 

Hallie looks at him with wide, fear filled eyes. “I’m sorry,” she says, rocketing backwards, her voice quaking.

Stiles shrugs and looks at her with a smile on his face, “Hey, it’s okay. I’m fine.” 

“Yeah,” Lydia says. “Stiles spills milk all over himself all the time anyway. He’s used to it.” 

“Lies and slander,” Stiles replies, grinning at Lydia. 

Hallie is still trembling though, and she’s pushed herself out of her chair and backed up into the kitchen wall. She starts to cry and Laura slides out of her own seat, walking over to her, kneeling down in front of her and reaching out a hand toward Hallie. Hallie flinches away from the movement, and Laura realizes what’s going on. 

“Hallie, hey you’re fine. Okay, you’re fine. I’m not going to hurt you. It’s okay. I promise.” She holds up her hands in front of her to show Hallie that she’s not going to touch her without permission. 

Derek feels like he’s going to be sick. It’s despicable that a child so young has been made to feel so afraid of messing up. Hallie seems to be calming down, though, and she takes a timid step toward Laura and when nothing happens she launches herself at her and breaks into louder tears. 

“Shhh, shhh. You’re okay,” Laura soothes, running one hand up and down her back and the other one through her hair. 

Stiles smiles at them before looking down at himself and grimacing slightly. Derek laughs a little at that, before saying, “Let’s go get you cleaned up.” 

He grabs Stiles’ hand and leads him out of the kitchen and up to his room. He rummages around in his drawers looking for something that Stiles can wear and pulls out a pair of sweatpants and one of his favorite t-shirts. He could give Stiles’ an older shirt and it would probably fit him better, but Derek wants him in a shirt that he wears often, wants to take the opportunity to let some more of his scent seep into Stiles’ skin. 

“Thanks,” Stiles says. He pulls his shirt over his head and Derek takes in the pale expanse of skin that is revealed to him. Derek reaches over and trails his fingertips up Stiles’ side and Stiles shivers a little, pressing into the touch, and aborting his movement to take the clothes from Derek, grabbing Derek’s hips instead, and pulling him closer. 

He tilts his head and presses forward so that their lips meet and Derek leans into it, and moves his lips leisurely against Stiles’. Stiles’ lips are warm and soft and his mouth tastes like syrup. 

Derek pulls back after a few moments and Stiles makes a whiny noise in his throat. 

“I’m not done yet,” he says, chasing Derek’s mouth with his own. Derek gives in easily, letting them kiss for a few more moments before he pulls back again.  
“We should probably go back in there. Show Hallie that you’re not mad, and all.” 

Stiles nods, swallowing hard, and takes the clothes from Derek. “Yeah, you’re right. I feel bad that she’s so upset. It makes me want to go beat up whoever has made her this afraid.” 

“I’m right there with you.” 

Stiles changes into the clothes quickly while Derek tries and fails not to stare. When Stiles looks up after pulling the pants on and catches him staring he smirks at him. “Enjoying the show?” 

Derek just rolls his eyes and doesn’t say anything, leaning in for one last kiss. When he pulls away he presses his nose into Stiles’ neck briefly, enjoying how much of his scent has seeped into Stiles’ skin already, before standing back up. 

When they walk back in the kitchen Hallie smiles sheepishly at Stiles. “I’m sorry,” she tells him. 

“It’s okay. I know it was an accident, and I’m fine,” He says, shooting her a huge smile. She sends him a timid one back before looking back down at her food. “Is it okay if I hug you?” he asks, kneeling down beside her chair, and when she grins bigger and nods her head he engulfs her in a giant hug. Hallie leans into the hug, and it makes Derek think about how she probably wasn’t shown much physical affection when she lived with her dad and he makes a mental note to give both her and Liam more hugs if they seem okay with it. 

They finish up breakfast without any more accidents, and Stiles declares that he and Lydia need to get going. 

“I promised my dad I’d help him with some stuff at his house today. So, I have to get back.” 

“Yeah, sure, okay,” Derek says. They all walk into the living room together and Hallie and Liam plop down on the floor and start building a lego house, while Laura, Lydia, Stiles and Derek hover by the door. 

“Okay, well, come back soon guys,” Laura says, and everyone nods. 

Stiles’ eyes shift to the kids and then back to Derek and he leans forward to kiss him on the cheek. “I’ll text you later.”

Lydia mimics Stiles by kissing Laura on the cheek, and saying, “See you later,” and then they leave, and Derek and Laura share sad looks with each other, before Laura turns and walks over to where the kids are playing and sits down to join them. 

Derek turns to head for his room, but before he can get very far Laura says, “Hey, you know what? We should do something today. Do you guys want to go to the movies or something?” 

Hallie and Liam make happy affirmative noises and Derek pauses. “What about you, Derek?” Laura asks. 

“Sure,” he says. 

“All right, well, get ready and we’ll leave soon and see what’s playing.” 

Derek nods and heads for his room. He showers and changes clothes and heads back downstairs. Laura has managed to take a shower and get herself and the kids all changed into different clothes and she’s rooting around in the kitchen. 

“Hey, what are you doing?” Derek asks, coming up beside her. 

“I’m looking for some apples or something for the kids to eat in the car. 

“There’s oranges in the fridge,” Derek says, and she opens the door and rummages around in the drawer until she finds them.

“Thanks, you ready to go?” 

Derek nods, and they head back into the living room. 

“You guys ready to go?” Laura asks the kids, and when they nod she scoops Liam up in her arms, and situates him on her hip so she can carry him out to the car. Derek grabs Hallie’s hand, and they walk for the car. Once they all get buckled in, Laura drives off and heads for the movie theater. 

When they get there, they all pile out of the car and discuss what movie they want to see. It takes a few minutes of heated discussion, but they finally settle on the newest animated feature. Derek goes to buy them all tickets and Laura goes in with the kids to get some popcorn and drinks for everyone. 

After Derek has secured the tickets and gone inside he finds Laura and Liam having a mild argument about wether or not he can have a package of candy he wants. 

“If you get the candy I’m getting you water to drink. If you want juice you can’t have the candy.” 

“But I want them both,” Liam says, pouting. 

“I know you do, but your teeth will rot out and you don’t want that do you?” 

“I do if it means I get candy,” Liam says. 

“If you’re teeth rot out, it will hurt, really bad.” 

“I don’t care,” Liam says, his voice getting louder and a little strained. 

“Well, I do. I’m not letting your teeth rot out, and what I say goes.” 

“Why?” Liam says, and now he’s screaming, and Hallie looks at over at him in shock, her bottom lip wobbling before she breaks out into quiet tears. Derek rushes over to her and drops to his knees. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asks. 

“Liam, stop!” she says, turning toward him. “I don’t wanna leave.” 

“Leave where? What are you talking about Hallie?” Laura asks, dropping down to her knees as well. 

“Leave you guys. You’re going to make us leave if we’re not good, and I don’t wanna.” 

Derek’s throat tightens with emotion and Laura looks shocked, but she pulls Hallie toward her, hugging her and running a hand through her hair. “Hey, come here, no one’s going anywhere. We aren’t going to kick you out because of a little argument. I love you guys. Okay? Mistakes and fights aren’t going to change that.” 

“Why would you think we would make you leave?” Derek asks, reaching over to grab her hand and swing it gently back and forth. 

“Because, Daddy always said we had to stay with him, because no one else would want us. He said we caused too many problems. But we’ll be good I promise. I don’t want to go back there.” 

“It’s okay, honey. You aren’t going back, and I’m not getting rid of you, okay. You aren’t a problem. Do you have any idea how many fights me and Derek have gotten in? More than you could count, but I still love him and I won’t ever stop, just like I won’t ever stop loving you, okay?” 

Hallie nods against Laura’s neck, letting out another choked off sob. 

Laura kisses the top of her head, and stands back up. “Now, if this was all just an elaborate plan to get me to let Liam get both the candy and the juice, it didn’t work.” She says, smiling. “Liam, pick one.” 

Liam sighs deeply, like it's the hardest decision of his life, but he says, "the candy." 

"Okay, let's go guys." 

*** 

When they get back home after the movie, Derek texts Stiles, "Did you guys make it home okay? I miss you." 

"Yeah, we're fine. I miss you too." 

"What have you been doing?" 

"Mostly just sitting around thinking about how much I wish we could have had sex last night." 

Derek swallows feeling some blood start to rush southward. "That would have been nice," he sends. 

"I've been touching myself and thinking about you ever since I got home." 

"Fuck." 

“Do you wanna see? We could have skype sex,” Stiles sends. 

Derek panics a little about doing this where they can actually see each other while they get off, but he wants it, so he sends back a quick, “Yes,” and signs on to Skype. 

Stiles icon is already green when the log in screen finishes and he gets an incoming call almost instantaneously. He answers it and Stiles face pops up on the screen. He’s wearing glasses and a plain grey t-shirt with boxers and Derek isn’t sure how he makes it look so effortlessly attractive, but he does know his dick is definitely interested. 

“Why the hell are you wearing glasses?” Derek finds himself saying before he can stop himself. 

“Oh, sorry, I can take them off,” Stiles responds and reaches for them. 

“Don’t you fucking dare.” 

Stiles smirks. “Oh, someone has a nerd kink.” 

“I mainly just have a _you_ kink,” Derek responds, and Stiles smiles, pleased, as a blush creeps onto his cheeks. 

“Okay, so how do you want to do this?” Stiles asks, reaching up to rub the back of his neck nervously. 

“I don’t know.” 

“All right, I guess we’ll just do it similar to phone sex if that’s okay. We’ll just start talking to each other and see what happens.” 

Derek nods and Stiles goes on, “God, you’re so hot. I never knew that I would be into stubble, but I definitely am, at least when it’s on you. I really want to kiss you.” 

“Just kiss me?” Derek asks, cocking an eyebrow. 

“No, I want to do everything with you,” Stiles says. “I especially want to blow you. I bet you’d be good, all nice and patient, not rocking up until I tell you it’s okay.” 

“Fuck,” Derek says, shifting closer to the screen. “I bet you’re good at blow jobs. Your lips are obscene.”

“I’m also good at deep throating,” Stiles says with a smirk. 

“God, I wish you were here. There are so many things I want to do to you too.” 

“Oh yeah? Like what?” 

"Like take that shirt off you for one," Derek replies. 

Stiles smiles a little shyly. "Well okay," he says, reaching behind him to tug his shirt up over his head by the collar. "What else?" 

Derek hesitates, not really sure what to say before settling on, "Then, I would run my hands over your body. I want to feel every inch of your skin."

Stiles hums a little, sounding pleased with that idea before saying, "I'd make you stop for long enough to pull your shirt off because I need to see those glorious abs of yours again." 

Derek grins before taking his shirt off, completely unembarrassed. He works hard to keep his body looking the way it does and he's pretty proud of it. 

“Shit, seriously how are you real?” Stiles says, raking his eyes over Derek’s body in a way that makes Derek feel tingly and warm. 

Derek smiles and says, “God, I wish I could touch you. I want to kiss all over your body, getting closer and closer to your dick until your begging me to take you in my mouth, and I bet you’d be good too. I bet you’d make all these amazing noises.” 

Stiles makes a noise that can only be described as a whimper. “Holy shit, Derek.” He dips his hand down past the waistband of his boxers, and gives himself a few quick strokes. 

“Let me see,” Derek says, leaning forward slightly, and licking his lips. 

“Holy hell,” Stiles mumbles, lifting himself slightly out of his seat so he can push his pants and boxers down. He tilts his screen down a little, so his camera is pointed lower, and thrusts himself into his hand a few times, bringing himself to full hardness, and Derek practically starts to drool. 

“You look so good like that. So perfect.” 

“Yeah? Well, I’d like to point out that one of us is significantly more naked than the other,” Stiles says, and Derek almost laughs. Of course Stiles is still snarky when they’re in the middle of skype sex. 

He pops the button open on his pants and pulls the zipper down, sliding his hand inside his pants, and pulling out his dick. It’s already half hard from watching Stiles and it only takes a few strokes for him to get to full hardness. 

He keeps his eyes on the screen the whole time, and let’s out an unintentional moan when Stiles licks his lips, his eyes firmly on the spot where Derek’s dick is thrusting up into his hand. 

“You look so fucking good. God, I wish that was my hand, or really my mouth. Whenever we’re together next I’m going to spend some serious time making you come completely apart with just my mouth. Every single inch of that glorious body deserves to have my lips on it at some point, and I am determined to make that happen.” 

Derek groans, sliding his thumb over his slit and flicking his wrist so he can pull just the way he likes it. Stiles is still stroking himself, and his cheeks are flushed red, and his eyes are half closed from the pleasure of it. He lets go for a second and holds a finger up in front of the camera, “Wait, just a second,” he says. He stands up and Derek can see him slide his boxers the rest of the way off before he disappears offscreen for a second, reappearing shortly thereafter with a small bottle of lube. 

He drops back down in his seat and pops the cap off the lube, and Derek lazily strokes himself as Stiles drips some lube onto his fingers. Stiles leans back in his seat, and places his feet on his desk lifting himself up a little so Derek can see better, and runs his finger over his hole, teasing himself. 

Derek continues stroking himself lazily. He’s leaking precome and he smears it around to reduce the friction as he speeds his hand up a little, watching as Stiles slides a finger inside himself, hissing quietly. Stiles presses the finger in and out slowly and Derek reaches his other hand down to fondle his balls, continuing to jerk his hand more quickly, as Stiles inserts another finger. 

“Ugh, Stiles, you look so ready and open. I wish I could fuck into you. And I’d like for you to fuck me too, if that’s something you’re into.” 

Stiles moans, thrusting his fingers in and out more quickly and jerking his hips up and down thrusting into the tight circle of his hand. “Yes, yes, I’m definitely into that. Ugh, fuck, I bet you’re such a good fuck. You know all the perfect things to say, so I can’t even imagine how good you are when actually doing it. I’m so close.” 

“I am too,” Derek says, tightening his hand and jerking off faster, his hips stuttering as he thrusts into his hand over and over again. He moans loudly, flicking his wrist and dragging his hand slowly twice, before speeding up again. He can feel his orgasm building low in his stomach, and it’s only a couple more strokes before he’s coming all over his stomach and chest. 

Stiles follows quickly after that saying, “God, you look so good covered in come. I can’t wait till it’s mine.” 

They sit mostly in silence for a few moments, their breathing slowing back down before Stiles says, “I don’t know what the post-skype-sex etiquette is. Are we supposed to hang up now?” 

“I don’t know. That was my first time doing it. I don’t really want to hang up though.” 

“Yeah, me either. I miss you a lot, and it’s nice to see you like this.” 

“What? Naked and covered in come?” 

Stiles laughs. “No, I just meant it’s nice to see you at all.” 

Derek smiles slowly, still reveling in post orgasm bliss. “Yeah, I miss you too. Which reminds me, I’m supposed to be asking you if you want to come to Boyd and Erica’s wedding with me this weekend. It’s kind of late notice, I know, but I would love for you to come.” 

“Yes, absolutely, let me go get cleaned off and then we can talk details.” 

“Okay, I’ll be right back too.” They smile at each other and Derek watches as Stiles leaves the frame before he gets up and goes into the bathroom attached to his bedroom. He wets a towel and wipes off his stomach and chest, before drying himself off and heading back into his room. He pulls on a pair of sweatpants without underwear, but leaves his shirt off, and when Stiles pops back into frame a few minutes later, he’s wearing a shirt, but nothing else. 

“When is the wedding?” He asks. 

“It’s on Saturday. You can stay the whole weekend though, if you want. I know Laura is going to invite Lydia, as well.” 

“Yeah, I’d definitely like to come, and staying the weekend sounds fun.” 

***

When Derek wakes up the next day he goes downstairs to find Erica and Boyd eating cereal with Hallie, Liam, and Laura in the kitchen. 

“Ah, yes, now that Derek is awake we have stuff to show you guys,” Erica says, reaching into a bag at her feet and rooting around in it. “This first thing is for you, Hallie,” she says, and she pulls out a frilly, light blue dress. 

Hallie’s mouth falls open for a moment, and then she grins excitedly. 

“Do you know what a flower girl is?” Erica asks, and Hallie shakes her head. “It’s a very important part of a wedding. The flower girl walks down the aisle before the bride and spreads flower petals down the aisle. Would you like to be the flower girl at my and Boyd’s wedding?” 

Hallie nods quickly, and Erica smiles at her. “Awesome. This dress is for you to wear while you do it, okay?” 

Hallie nods again, and Erica turns toward Liam. “All right, buddy, do you know what a ring bearer is?” 

He shakes his head, and Erica continues, “Well, it’s someone who brings the rings to the bride and groom when it’s time for them to exchange them. It’s super important. Wanna do us a favor and be the ring bearer for our wedding?” 

“Yeah,” he says, smiling. 

Erica grins back at him, and rummages in her bag again, pulling out a tuxedo. “Great, this is for you to wear then.” 

“You’re gonna look so handsome,” Boyd says. “Thank you for doing this both of you,” he adds, giving them both hugs. 

"I have an announcement, you guys," Laura says. "I put in the application to adopt Liam and Hallie this morning. I don't know if it'll go through since I'd be a single mother, but I do have the upper hand since they're already living with me. They don't like shoving kids around anymore than kids like being shoved around." 

"That's awesome," Boyd and Erica say at the same time, smiling at Laura and at the kids. 

Laura smiles back. 

“All right, well we have to go. I’m going to pick up my dress and make sure it fits, and Boyd is going to finalize the flowers. We’ll see you at the rehearsal, if we don’t see you sooner. And good luck with the adoption thing," Erica says. 

“All right, see you,” Laura says, and Derek nods and turns to get himself a bowl of cereal. 

When he sits down at the table Laura nudges his leg with her foot. He looks over at her. “What?” 

“Have you asked Stiles if he wants to come?” she asks. 

“Yeah, he’s coming on Friday.”

“Awesome,” Laura smiles. 

“What about Lydia?” 

“Yep, she’s coming Friday too. I bet they’ll just ride together.” 

“Stiles and Lydia are coming here?” Liam asks. 

“Yeah, is that all right?” Laura asks him, leaning closer and grabbing a napkin to wipe some milk off his cheek. 

“Yeah, I like them. They’re funny.” 

Laura smiles at Liam, and then at Derek. “Yeah, we like them too.” 

***

Friday afternoon there’s a knock at the door and Laura and Derek are in the living room playing with Hallie and Liam so they both go to answer it. When they pull the door open, Lydia and Stiles are standing there and Lydia drops her bag and launches herself at Laura. Laura catches her at the last second and holds her up as Lydia wraps her legs around her waist and hugs around her neck. 

Stiles watches them with a mischievous grin, and shoots Derek a look and then he’s launching himself at Derek. Derek should have seen it coming, but he really didn’t so he loses his footing as he grabs Stiles, and they go tumbling to the ground, everyone in the room laughing as Stiles lands hard on top of him, his elbow digging into Derek’s stomach. 

“Oof,” Derek grunts, and Stiles’ expression changes to a sheepish one. 

“Oops, but to be fair, I thought you would see it coming. I mean Laura managed to catch Lydia and she didn’t have any warning.” 

“It’s because I’m stronger,” Laura says, as Lydia hops down. 

“And because I’m more graceful,” Lydia adds. “Clearly.” 

“I seem to have people crawling on me,” Stiles says, and he shifts so that Hallie and Liam can climb over his back on to Derek’s chest. “I missed you guys.” Stiles says, reaching out to run a hand through both Hallie and Liam’s hair. “All of you,” he adds, with a glance to Derek. 

***

On Saturday, when they’re at the wedding, Derek disappears for a while before it’s supposed to start, hiding himself away in a back room. Half an hour before time for it to start Stiles finds him “Hey, what are you doing hiding away back here?” he asks. 

“Nothing,” he says, giving Stiles a small smile. “Weddings are just hard for me. The whole happy family thing just kind of makes me wish my parents were around.” 

Stiles steps into his space, running his thumb across Derek’s jawline. “I know what you mean. I always miss my mom the most when I’m at things like this too. We’ll get it through it together.” He leans in and brushes their lips together and it just feels right. Derek kisses him back, hard and fast, and when they break away, Derek pulls him closer, just hugging him tight for a few minutes. When they finally separate Stiles grins up at him and says, “Come on, it’s almost time for the wedding to start.” He tugs on his hand and drags him back into the main body of the church. 

“We should get in there and sit down,” Lydia says. 

Stiles nods. “Yeah, just a second.” He turns towards Derek, “All right, you’re gonna be fine. I’ll be front and center the whole time. Now, go find Boyd and make sure he’s all right.” Then he leans in so that only Derek can hear him, “By the way, you look excellent in your tux, but I’m sure you’ll look even better when I get you out of it later.” He lets his lips brush down Derek’s jawline as he pulls away, and Derek’s cheeks heat up in a slight blush, as Stiles walks away with Lydia in tow. 

Laura gives him an encouraging smile, and Derek smiles back before saying, “I’m going to go find Boyd.” 

“Yeah, I should go check on Erica,” she says, and they head off in separate directions. Derek navigates through the hallways until he finds the back room that Boyd had been getting dressed in. He knocks on the door and Boyd tells him to come in. 

When he walks through the door Boyd is standing in front of the mirror messing with his bow tie, and Derek steps in front of him. “Here let me do it.” 

Boyd drops his hands and Derek unties it before tying it back slowly. “There, perfect.” 

Boyd smiles nervously. “Are you okay?” Derek asks.

“Yeah, I mean, I know Erica is the one for me. She’s perfect, completely and utterly perfect, and she was my friend when no one else was. I just don’t want anything to go wrong.” 

“With the wedding? Or just life in general?” 

“Both, I guess.” 

“Well, like you said, Erica is the one for you, and as long as you know that the rest will figure itself out. There will be ups and downs but that’s life, and it’ll work out. And the good thing is you’ll always have someone there for you to help you through the bad parts, and even if you fight, you’ll still know you love each other enough to make it work.” 

“You know, when I first met you, I never would have thought you were capable of such words of wisdom. I’m glad that you’ve opened up some more, because to be honest I didn’t like you that much at first.” 

Derek laughs. He knows how hard he was to get along with back then and he’s just glad Boyd stuck around at all. “So, what do you say, are you ready to go get married?” 

“Yeah, let’s go,” Boyd says, and he looks in the mirror one last time, making a final adjustment to his bow tie before heading for the door. They leave the room and walk through a back entrance into the sanctuary so they’re at the front of the room. 

After a few minutes, the music starts and everyone turns toward the door. 

Hallie appears at the doorway and walks slowly up the aisle, reaching into her basket of flower petals and spreading them carefully down the aisle. When she reaches the end of the aisle she looks around at the front row until she finds Stiles and Lydia and she hops up on the pew beside Stiles, placing her basket of flowers on her other side. 

After a few more moments, Laura appears in the door, and starts to make her way up the aisle. Lydia smiles at her as she approaches the front and Laura grins back at her, all the way up the aisle. When she turns and looks back at the door, the music switches to the bridal march and everyone stands up.  
Erica walks the aisle alone, and Boyd stares at her in opened mouth wonderment, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Erica’s parents weren’t really around that much while she was growing up and while they showed up for the wedding she insisted on walking the aisle by herself. She had said, “This isn’t the 1400’s and I’m no one’s property, so no one is ‘giving me away.’” 

When she reaches the end of the aisle, she winks at Boyd, and steps up beside him, both of them turning to face each other in front of the priest. 

“Dearly beloved,” the priest starts, “We are gathered here today, to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony.” 

Erica and Boyd join hands, and Derek looks past them at Laura who is grinning and crying slightly as tears form in his own eyes. 

***

At the reception they’re sitting at a table finishing up their cake when Stiles tugs on Derek’s hand. “Come dance with me,” he says, standing up.

Laura snorts. “Good luck with that.” 

And just to spite her, Derek nods his head and lets himself be pulled out onto the dance floor by Stiles. When he turns around he sees Laura gaping at him, until Lydia grabs her hand and pulls her out onto the dance floor as well. 

There’s a fast paced club type song playing, and Stiles moves in front of him pressing his back into Derek’s chest. He shimmies his hips suggestively, and Derek places his hands on his waist, pulling him closer. Stiles grinds against him and Derek moves with him, pressing his lips against Stiles’ neck. Stiles turns around and presses their bodies together, swaying slightly and mumbles into Derek’s ear, “So, you got any big plans for us later tonight?” 

“Maybe,” Derek says, smirking. Stiles tangles his fingers into Derek’s hair and pulls them together so that their lips meet, continuing to move against Derek. The song switches to a slower one and Stiles pulls away. 

“Let’s go get something to drink,” he says. 

“Wait, no, I want to dance to this.” Derek says, keeping his hands on Stiles’ hips. 

“I don’t know how to slow dance though,” Stiles says. 

“That’s okay. I’m great at it. Just follow my lead.” 

“And how exactly did you become great at slow dancing?” Stiles asks, a pout taking over his features. 

“I took lessons,” Derek explains. “So did Laura.” He nods over to where Laura and Lydia are waltzing together perfectly until Hallie and Liam interrupt, the four of them dancing together, Hallie and Liam standing on Laura and Lydia’s feet. 

“Oh,” Stiles replies, snaking his arms around Derek’s neck and pressing himself closer. He rests his forehead against Derek’s shoulder and they move together slowly, Derek keeping his hand firmly on Stiles’ back. 

It feels so nice to have Stiles with him, to have him in his arms, and solid and real, and it’s driving Derek crazy. He needs to kiss him, needs to touch him, needs to fall asleep next to him. 

“What do you say we get out of here?” he whispers and Stiles looks up at him, and grins. 

“I think that sounds like a fantastic idea.” Derek pulls away, but takes his hand, and drags Stiles across the room to where Erica and Boyd are dancing slowly. 

“Hey guys, I think we’re going to head out. Congratulations again, and I’ll see you both when you get home from your honeymoon,” Derek says. 

Erica and Boyd untangle themselves from each other and both wrap Derek in a hug, Erica whispering, “Go get you some,” in Derek’s ear before she pulls away. 

“Congrats guys,” Stiles says, as Derek pulls him away, heading for the door. 

When they get outside and find Derek’s car, Derek almost just wants to climb into the backseat and fool around there, but he wants to do this in a bed, wants lots of space to do everything he’s imagined doing with Stiles. 

He opens Stiles’ door for him and Stiles fakes a swooning fit. “So chivalrous.” Derek rolls his eyes, and heads around to the driver’s seat, sliding in behind the wheel, and turning the car on. 

The air in the car feels almost electric the whole way home, buzzing with an almost palpable energy, and when Stiles reaches over to slide a hand up Derek’s thigh, Derek almost crashes the car. 

When they get back to Derek and Laura’s apartment, they stumble out of the car and into each others arm’s, kissing messily as they walk back to the apartment. When Derek pulls apart to unlock the door, Stiles just happily kisses his neck instead, and when Derek gets the door open they almost fall through it. They kiss all the way to Derek’s room before falling on his bed, a tangle of limbs. 

Stiles is above him leaning down to kiss his neck and this is really happening and Derek wants it to more than anything, but when Stiles’ lips brush against his skin, Derek stiffens. He doesn’t expect Stiles to even notice, but he does, and he pulls his head back up to look at him with a worried expression. 

“What’s wrong?” He asks, timidly reaching for Derek’s hand and twining their fingers together. 

The corners of Derek’s mouth quirk up a little at that. “It’s okay, Keep going.” Derek really does trust Stiles despite how much the memories of what Kate did to him and his family keep screaming at him that he shouldn’t. What Kate did has made him a little tense about having sex with someone, and even though he does trust Stiles it’s not easy to push it from his mind completely. It was easier when it was phone sex and Skype sex they were having because it didn’t feel as intimate. Now that Stiles is here, and he can feel the solid weight of his body over him, Derek feels vulnerable again. Actually looking at Stiles makes him feel more comfortable though. There’s no hint of betrayal in Stiles’ eyes, and he can hear his heart beating sure and steady. 

He wants to do this, but he wants Stiles to know what he’s getting into. If he tells him he’s a werewolf after the fact and Stiles leaves in disgust it’ll definitely hurt worse than if he leaves now before they have sex. Stiles has been watching him without moving, despite Derek’s earlier assurance that Stiles should keep going, and Derek takes a deep breath before he speaks again, “Actually, there’s something you should know.” 

“Yeah,” Stiles says, encouraging him to go on.

“This is going to sound so fucking ridiculous, and you’re probably just going to think I’m insane, but, uh, I’m a werewolf.”

“You’re a what now?” Stiles asks. He’s smiling like he thinks Derek might be going just a little bit crazy, but he hasn’t moved off of him yet, and that has to be a good sign. 

“I’m a werewolf,” Derek repeats. 

“Yeah, and I’m a vampire. Buffy needs to come slay me,” Stiles says. “I wasn’t aware you were into roleplaying but that could be fun, maybe.”

Derek huffs out a puff of breath and looks away from Stiles’ eyes, focusing in on the ceiling. 

“Shit,” Stiles says. “Are you being serious?” 

“Yeah,” Derek says, still avoiding Stiles’ eyes. 

“What the…show me,” Stiles says, and Derek locks eyes with him. 

“You serious?” He asks. 

“Deadly,” Stiles replies, sucking in a breath through his teeth, and eyeing Derek like he really hopes he isn’t crazy.

Derek doesn’t say anything, just twists his neck up a little and lets the shift takeover. He opens his eyes and expects to see Stiles looking at him with disgust or terror, but all he sees is fascination. His heart had sped up a little when the change was happening, but it had seemed to peter back out now, and Stiles disentangles his fingers from Derek’s in order to touch the side of his face. 

“That was so fucking awesome. Holy shit. Were you bit and everything?” 

“I was born one. So was Laura. Our whole family were born wolves.” And before he can even say anything else, or think about what’s happening Stiles is leaning down again, and kissing him fiercely, tugging his bottom lip up in between his teeth and sliding his tongue across it. Derek lets the kiss cloud his judgment for a minute before he pushes Stiles back away from him. 

“Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have done that. It’s just, uh...I totally know about werewolves already. Scott’s one. He was bit when we were sixteen. So that wasn’t as shocking for me as it would be for most people, and you look really hot when you’re shifted.” 

The fact that Stiles still thinks he’s hot even as a wolf probably shouldn’t turn Derek on as much as it does. 

“No, it’s fine, and I’m glad you already know. That makes things easier. Laura and I knew we smelled wolf on Scott, but we weren’t sure if it was actually him or if he was just really close with one, like his mom or someone. But there’s more I need to tell you.” Derek grabs Stiles hand again, using the warmth and comfort of being touched as an anchor to shift back before he speaks. “When I was sixteen, I fell in love with someone. Her name was Kate, and I was young and stupid and naive and she was older, but I thought she loved me too. She persuaded me to have sex with her, and I won’t go into details but she made me feel like I was the most important person in the world and like she would never love anyone as much as she loved me.”

Stiles looks confused, like he knows there’s a serious reason Derek is telling him this, but he’s not sure what it is yet. Derek takes a deep breath, gathering his courage, before he speaks again. “One day, when I was at her house I told her that I had to get home early because my whole family was at my house for a family reunion for the week. I went to school the next day and got pulled out of class half way through the day only to be told that my house had been burned to the ground and that everyone inside was dead. When they took me by there to try and salvage anything I could Kate’s scent was everywhere which didn’t feel right because she hadn’t ever been to my house, but I brushed it off, thinking maybe she heard about the fire and tried to come see if I was okay. I tried calling her, stupidly afraid that she would be worried about me, but her number was disconnected, and that’s when I knew what had happened. I found out later, that she came from a family of werewolf hunters, and that she had known what I was the entire time. She never loved me, and the night I told her about the family reunion, was the night I gave her all the information she needed to kill 95% of my family in one fell swoop.” 

When Derek finishes his story, Stiles is looking at him with so much anger in his eyes, and at first he’s terrified that Stiles is angry at him. That he blames him for what happened to his family and he’s disgusted with him now, but then Stiles is saying, “I hope that bitch is already six feet under the ground, because if she’s not, I’m going to find her and I’m going to kill her.” Derek grabs Stiles face and pulls him closer to him, kissing him hard. He doesn’t often feel like there’s someone on his side, usually just Laura, Boyd and Erica, but now there’s Stiles and Derek hopes it stays this way forever. 

Stiles pulls himself back, “I am definitely a fan of the kissing, and I want it to continue, but I have to say this first. It’s not your fault. Please tell me you know that.” 

“That’s what Laura says too, but it sure feels like my fault,” Derek breathes out, still afraid that Stiles might turn and run away. 

“It’s not. She manipulated and used you. You’re a victim. You’re not guilty of anything.” 

Derek takes a breath and lets that sink in. It’s nothing that Laura hasn’t said before, but with Laura he’s always been afraid that she’s just saying it because they’re the only family each other has left, and that maybe she just has to forgive him so that she doesn’t feel worse about everything. Stiles doesn’t have any reason to say that, though, not unless he thinks it’s true. 

Derek trails his palm lightly up Stiles’ side, rucking up his shirt. “I’ve never really believed that. Not until now.” Stiles’ eyes are soft and full of promises, like he’s not going to let anything happen to Derek ever again, and it’s stupid. Stiles is 140 pounds at most, and not at all threatening, but Derek still believes that Stiles can protect him, and that’s enough to make him let his guard down. He bites his lip, trying to tamp down the smile that’s threatening to take over his face, and rolls them over. 

He leans his face close to Stiles and when he doesn’t raise any objections Derek closes the gap, tangling his fingers in Stiles’ hair. It’s a slow kiss, not frenzied or frantic in the way that Derek imagined they would act around each other when they finally got to do this, and it seems to say so much more than anything Derek would ever be able to put into words. He kisses the side of Stiles’ mouth and hopes it says, “I want this forever,” kisses his jaw and hopes Stiles knows it means, “I’ll never let anything happen to you,” kisses his neck, and hopes Stiles catches the “I love you,” in it, embedded in the way Derek’s breath ghosts out over his skin. 

Stiles shoves on Derek’s arm like he wants to flip them back over, and Derek lets him, rolling underneath him, and when Stiles pauses mid kiss to pull back by a fraction of a centimeter and breathe out, “I love you” their lips brushing with every move of Stiles mouth, Derek can hear just how true it is in the steadiness of his heartbeat. He lets Stiles tug his shirt over his head, leaning forward so he can pull it over his arms, and then he pulls at the bottom of Stiles’ until Stiles disconnects from him long enough for him to pull his off as well. Then he gets to run his hands over Stiles’ skin in the way he’s been wishing he could for months. He can feel it heating up under his touch and when he looks at Stiles’ eyes again he looks so wrecked and ready, his pupils blown and his mouth hanging halfway open in a way that shouldn’t be legal. 

Stiles nudges at Derek’s neck with his nose, and Derek stretches his head back trusting Stiles enough to let him nip at the skin of his neck. He bites down near Derek’s ear and sucks. Derek squirms underneath him, the hickey won’t last long, but the fact that Stiles wants to mark him at all is enough to make Derek hard. Stiles pulls away and kisses at the other side, for a bit before looking back at where he had been biting before in defeat. 

“Stupid werewolf healing. I should have known it wouldn’t let me leave a hickey.” 

“I can stop it. I mean, if you want it to stay. It takes some will power because you have to keep thinking about it somewhere in your mind the whole time, but I can do it.” 

“Keep them. Also, whoa, I’m going to need you to tell Scott stuff like this. This is the kind of stuff that google can’t be trusted to tell us and we never knew any other werewolves. Well, there’s Isaac now. Scott’s an alpha, he just kind of became one somehow. We’re not really sure how, but Isaac is his only beta. He met him in college, but Isaac doesn’t know stuff like that either. But, yeah, I guess that’s also why Scott didn’t know you were a wolf. He said you and Laura, and Erica and Boyd too, smelled off, like different, but he wasn’t sure what it was,” Stiles says. 

“If he became an alpha without killing one, that’s really impressive. That doesn’t happen very often at all, but yeah, I, and I’m sure Laura too, would be happy to teach him the kind of stuff that only another werewolf can tell you.”

Stiles smiles, like he’s proud of his friend for being special, but also happy that Derek is willing to teach him more stuff, and then he bites down on Derek’s shoulder and sucks another mark into his skin.

Derek moans and Stiles trails his lips down Derek’s body, kissing his hipbones before unbuttoning Derek’s pants. He goes to pull them off, but looks up at Derek. “Tell me if you want me to stop.” Derek nods and Stiles pulls his pants down and off, taking his boxers with them.

He nudges Derek’s legs apart so he can fit in between them and hovers there for a minute, close enough that Derek can feel his breath, but not as close as he wants him. Derek squirms under him, wanting to grab Stiles’ hair and pull him right where he needs him, and when he remembers what Stiles told him about liking it rough, he does card his fingers in Stiles’ hair. 

“You have to tell me if you want me to stop as well,” Derek says, and he can feel Stiles nod against his thigh so he tugs him over and onto his dick practically shoving himself into Stiles’ mouth. When he feels the wet heat of Stiles’ mouth around him he nearly loses it then and there, but he manages to keep it together, somehow miraculously not thrusting into Stiles’ mouth. Stiles slides down his entire length and he can feel the tip of his dick hitting the back of Stiles’ throat and it feels incredible, but then Stiles is sliding all the way off with a pop and Derek can feel himself starting to pout. 

Stiles just laughs at him. “Hold on, tiger.” He says and he grabs a pillow to prop up his head and lies down on the bed beside Derek and grabs Derek’s hands, tugging him closer. “Straddle me.” Derek does as he’s told, and Stiles grabs his back, right above his ass, and shoves him forward, pressing Derek’s dick into his mouth. He slides back off for a second to say, “Thrust as hard as you want” before sliding his mouth back down the length of Derek’s dick. Derek rocks his hips a little, testing how much Stiles can take, and when he doesn’t choke, he rocks a little harder, relishing the feel of how tight Stiles’ lips are pressed around his dick. Stiles is doing amazing things with his tongue and Derek’s legs are starting to feel like jelly and he hasn’t even come yet.  
He tugs on Stiles’ hair, pulling him impossibly closer, so close that he can feel the puffs of air every time Stiles breathes out through his nose, and rolls his hips again and again and again. He’s amazed at how much Stiles can take, but also a little jealous, he clearly has a lot of practice and Derek doesn’t like the thought of Stiles lips around anyone else’s dick. Stiles presses his head back forcefully making Derek ease off a bit and slides off Derek’s dick most of the way so he can swirl his tongue around the tip of his dick. He slides back down the length before Derek can even really register what’s happening and he swallows, and that’s when Derek starts to lose it. 

“I’m going to come,” he says, grunting out the words as he thrusts into Stiles mouth, but he lets go of his head, giving him a chance to pull off. Stiles doesn’t just keeps sliding up and down Derek’s length, meeting his every thrust, and it only takes another minute before Derek is coming with a choked groan. 

Stiles swallows and immediately pulls him down for a kiss. It’s hot and filthy and Derek can taste himself in every inch of Stiles’ mouth. “You’re still wearing too many clothes,” Derek says, reaching for the waistband of Stiles’ pants and unbuttoning them, tugging on them. Stiles lifts up his hips long enough for Derek to shove them most of the way down and then he kicks them the rest the way off, but then he’s back, kissing Derek hard and insistent. 

He pulls off for long enough to say, “Please tell me you have lube and condoms, because I totally forgot.” 

Derek laughs. “In my dresser.” Stiles rolls them over so he’s on top again, and then stands up and the second he’s gone from the bed, Derek misses the weight of him already. He’s back soon though, straddling Derek and popping the top off the lube. He squeezes some out onto his fingers. 

“Is this okay?” Stiles says, throwing the lube to the side, and moving his hand close to Derek’s hole. 

“It’s fine, just hurry.” 

Stiles presses a finger against him and Derek tries to stay relaxed as it slides inside him, knowing it’ll just hurt if he tenses up in the way he wants to. Stiles slides it in and out a few times, before sliding another finger in and Derek throws his head back, arching his back slightly and groaning. 

“You’re so hot. You are like movie star levels of sexy,” Stiles says, scissoring his fingers to stretch Derek more, before he adds a third. 

“I thought I was porn star levels of hot,” Derek jokes, and then Stiles is back and kissing him, while still moving his fingers in and out of Derek. 

“You’re actually a level above porn star I just haven’t figure out what to call it yet,” Stiles says. 

“God, just get inside me already.” 

Stiles slides his fingers out for long enough to open a condom and roll it on, slicking some lube onto it from his hand, and then he’s guiding himself to Derek’s entrance while he kisses him. He nips at Derek’s bottom lip at the same time he slides into his hole and it’s almost too much for Derek to handle. He slides in slowly, but Derek wants it harder. 

“Faster,” he says. Stiles leans his head next to Derek’s, resting his forehead on the pillow there, and Derek bites into his neck, sucking a mark into the skin. He wants everyone to know that Stiles is his too. Stiles lets out a moan, that Derek thinks is supposed to be his name and rolls his hips harder, thrusting in and out more quickly. Derek bites onto Stiles shoulder instead and trails his fingers up the smooth, warm, skin of Stiles’ sides. 

“God, Derek, that feels so good,” Stiles grunts out, and Derek bites into another part of Stiles neck sucking hard, as Stiles thrusts into him even harder.

Stiles reaches for Derek’s dick but Derek swats his hand away. He’s still too sensitive and he’s more concerned about Stiles getting off now anyway. He continues to move his hands over Stiles’ skin, pressing his fingertips into the skin of Stiles’ back, before trailing his fingers up Stiles’ stomach. He can see the muscles in Stiles stomach contract as he grunts out another moan. He bites into Stiles’ shoulder again, sucking another bruise to the surface. 

“God, feels so good,” Stiles says, the words coming out as groans. He slides his hands up Derek’s chest as he presses into him over and over again. He mouths at Derek’s neck, sucking a bruise to the surface and then tonguing over the mark.

“I’m gonna come,” he says. 

“Good,” Derek replies. “Come on, Stiles. I want to see your face when you come,” and that’s all it takes to send Stiles over the edge. He stays inside Derek as he comes, groaning out Derek’s name, his face twisting up in pleasure, and then he pulls out, pulling the condom off, tying it and leaning over Derek so he can throw it in the trash, before collapsing down beside him, half on top of him. 

“That was the best sex of my life, and I hope the same goes for you,” Stiles says, pulling the blankets up over him. 

“Eh, it was okay,” Derek says, smirking at him, and he doesn’t mention that it’s the first time since Kate that he’s trusted someone enough to do that, but he whispers, “I love you,” into the skin of Stiles’ shoulder and hopes that says enough. He listens to Stiles’ breathing even out, before he lets himself fall asleep too. 

He has another nightmare about the fire that night, but instead of jerking awake to silence and an empty bed, he wakes up to Stiles’ wide eyes, silently asking him what’s wrong. 

“Nightmare,” Derek says, and Stiles kisses his shoulder. 

“You’re fine. I’ve got you.” Derek pulls him closer, and slips back off to sleep thinking about how he finally has something the memories of Kate can’t taint. 

EPILOGUE (Five Months Later) - 

When Derek and Laura pull into the driveway of Stiles’ childhood home, Derek sees Stiles’ head pop up in the window and a few moments later he and Lydia are coming through the door. Derek grins as he pulls the car to the stop. He unbuckles his seat belt and hops out before opening the backseat door and helping Liam out of his car seat while Laura helps Hallie out of hers. 

Once they’re both out the kids run across the yard to Stiles. He leans over and grabs them both up in a big hug. “I missed you guys so much,” he says. “Are you ready to meet my dad?” 

“Yeah,” both kids say in unison, smiles light up their faces but Hallie tugs on her bottom lip with her teeth a little bit, nervously. 

Laura, who had been hugging Lydia, comes up beside them then saying, “Come on, guys. Let Derek and Stiles say hello,” and taking the kids out of Stiles’ arms. 

Stiles pretty much launches himself at Derek then, pulling him in for a giant hug. “I’ve missed you a stupid amount.” 

“I missed you too,” Derek says, holding him tight. 

“Are you nervous about meeting my dad?” Stiles whispers. 

Derek doesn’t answer and Stiles must take that as a yes, because he pulls away, but grabs on to Derek’s hand. “Come on. It’ll be okay. He’s going to love you, and Hallie and Liam will distract him.” 

They walk through the front door and Derek sees Scott in the living room talking to a pretty older woman, whom Derek thinks is probably his mother based on their easy familiarity, and an older man that he can tell with certainty is Stiles’ dad. 

Sheriff Stilinski walks forward and grasps Derek’s hand firmly, shaking it, and staring at him intimidatingly hard. He’s in his full sheriff’s uniform, which is intimidating enough by itself, at least until Stiles leans over and whispers, “Don’t let the uniform scare you. He didn’t even work today. He wore it just trying to be scary, and I made him leave his gun in his room so he’s not even armed.” 

The sheriff lets go of Derek’s hand and briefly glares at Stiles instead. Stiles rolls his eyes. “I’m just kidding dad, you’re real scary,” he says, patting his arm, his voice laced with sarcasm. 

“It’s really good to meet you, sir,” Derek says, still desperate to make a good impression.

Stiles seems to think it’s a good time to introduce the kids and Laura and attempt to add a distraction factor, because he moves from beside Derek and points to the kids, “Hey dad, this is Hallie and Liam, and this is Laura,” he says pointing to each of them in turn. 

The sheriff crouches down to the kids’ level, and Hallie who had been hiding behind Laura, pokes her head out timidly. 

“Hey guys,” he says, his voice gruff but softer than it had been before. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Stiles has told me a lot about you guys. There’s still a swing set in the backyard from when Stiles was a kid, if it’s okay with Laura you guys can go play on it.” 

The kids whip their heads around to look at Laura and she smiles and nods. “Yeah, I’ll go with you guys. It was nice meeting you, Sheriff.” They shake hands and Laura shepherds Liam and Hallie outside, Lydia following them out, and the sheriff turns his attention back to Derek. 

He pulls himself up to his full height and crosses his arms over his chest. “You better be planning on treating my son right, because if I hear one bad thing about you or see that you’ve upset him in any way I am not going to be happy. I’m not afraid to do some digging and find a reason to throw your ass in jail.” 

“That won’t be necessary, sir. Your son means a lot to me, and I don’t plan on doing anything to mess that up.” Derek says, meeting the sheriff’s eye. Stiles reaches his hand over and tangles their fingers together, and the sheriff’s gaze drops to their intertwined hands. He glares harshly, but doesn’t say anything, and the woman in the room steps forward. 

“Hi, I’m Melissa. I’m Scott’s mom. It’s great to meet you,” she says. She reaches out her hand and Derek drops Stiles’ for long enough to shake hers. 

“Come on, John. Let’s go outside and check on the kids,” she says, wrapping an arm around the sheriff’s waist. 

The sheriff looks at her, distracted, before smiling and saying, “Yeah, okay.” They walk outside together, but right before she exits the room, Melissa looks over her shoulder and says, “Stiles is like a son to me, and I just want you to know that I know how to make a murder look like an accident.” 

Scott turns to them both after that and says, “Stiles is my brother, and I’m okay with you as long as you keep him happy, but the moment you don’t anymore all bets are off.” 

He goes to follow his mom and the sheriff outside, and Stiles turns toward Derek, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around him. 

“They’re teddy bears, really, they’re just really protective. They’ll grow to love you as much as I do. I promise.” He nuzzles his nose against Derek’s neck and Derek relaxes a little, pressing a kiss to the side of Stiles’ forehead. “Let’s go check on the food, because if it burns, they will blame you.” 

Stiles walks away toward the kitchen, and Derek follows him, their fingers still intertwined. When they get in the kitchen Stiles hops up on the counter and waves his hand around at all the dishes. “You’re better at all this stuff so I’ll leave it to you.” 

Derek glares a little, pretending to be aggravated but he doesn’t actually mind. He opens the oven door to check on the rolls that are cooking in there, and then starts stirring the vegetables on the stove. 

“So, how is life going now that you’ve graduated?” Stiles asks, crossing his legs at the ankles and leaning forward. 

“It’s okay. I’ve been looking around at some different areas, trying to decide where all to apply at.” 

“Oh yeah, like where?” 

The tips of Derek’s ears go pink and he mumbles, “San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Napa, Beacon Hills.” 

“Beacon Hills?! You’re considering here?” 

“I thought that way, if you wanted to, you could move in with me.” 

“You want me to move in with you?” Stiles asks, his voice a complete octave higher than usual.

“Yeah, but I mean, that’s probably a dumb idea. I’m sure you’d rather keep living with Lydia, that’s fine. But I still might come to Beacon Hills, just to be clos-” He cuts off there as Stiles grabs his hand and yanks him closer, connecting their lips. 

“No, I definitely want to move in with you.” 

“Yeah?” Derek asks, grinning, their mouths still practically touching. 

“Yeah. But what about the kids? You’ll be kind of far from them, and now that the adoption has gone through, and you know they’ll be around don’t you want to be close to them?” 

“Laura is actually looking for a job closer to Beacon Hills, so she can move closer too. She wants to be nearer to Lydia, and she thinks it’ll be good for the kids to get away from the town that holds so many bad memories for them.” 

Stiles smiles, and sneaks a hand up under Derek’s shirt. He curves his fingers around Derek’s hip, tugging him closer, and presses their lips together again. “I’m gonna make sure my dad puts in a good word for you with the fire chief,” he says, when they pull apart again, and Derek just smiles before kissing him again.

**Author's Note:**

> trigger warnings: mentions of physical child abuse, and descriptions of a child thinking she is going to be abused because she has been in the past, but no “on screen” depictions of the actual abuse that occurred. A moment is referenced from an episode of Buffy where an attempted rape happens. Derek talks about feeling used and betrayed by someone he was previously sexually involved with, and how it’s hard for him to open himself up to people all the way because of that.


End file.
